On November 15, 2022, Marian Joy Thompson, aged 71, passed away in Asheville, NC, at Mission Hospital surrounded by her loving family. She and her husband resided in Old Fort, NC for the last 30 years. Joy was born on June 4, 1951 on the Subic Bay U.S. naval base in Zambales, Philippines, to Diane C. Busey and Lt. Cmd. Charles W. Busey Sr. Her path crossed with Randall Thompson's, in 1968, during their mutual activism with the NAACP while attending Muskogee Central High School. They married on Friday, September 13, 1969 and their adventures began; they were blessed with two children, Tahsha Love and Stephan Randall.

A woman whose very life was her art, Joy wore many hats, including that of a clown, a writer, a blogger, a publisher, an inspired costume designer, a gardener, a mentor, a friend, a grandmother, a sister, and a beloved aunt. She nurtured many animals and soothed many hearts.

She will be missed dearly by her husband Randall C. Thompson, her daughters Tahsha L. Thompson and Summer D. Wheldon, her grandsons, Jahshua Thompson and Michael O'Cain, her great-grandson Felix Thompson, her sisters Michele Banks and Christina Bartlett, and a loving group of nieces, nephews, extended family and friends.