Joy White

Joy White, a lifetime area resident, died on Thursday, October 22, 2020, nearly four years after being diagnosed with ovarian cancer. Joy was born on August 2, 1962, the daughter of the late James F. Grooms, Sr. and Gwendolyn Pentz Grooms, now Gwendolyn Doyle of Las Vegas, Nevada. In addition to her mother, Joy is also survived by her husband, Attorney Marty White of Warren, and her brother, Jason (wife, Robin and children, Emily and Dylan) Grooms who also reside in Las Vegas. She was preceded in death by her older brother, James F. Grooms, Jr., survived by his beloved Sandy and her children.
After graduating Champion High School in 1980, Joy worked for four years as an aide at Hillside Rehabilitation Hospital where she learned valuable life lessons as a witness to the resilience and determination of patients facing physical and emotional challenges. After Hillside, she joined her father and brother at Artcraft Displays on the west side of Warren, eventually becoming its president and the face of the company for more than 25 years. While running Artcraft, she commuted to Kent State University, earning a bachelor’s degree in business administration.
The business of Artcraft included the manufacture of trade show displays, commercial signage and graphic design, from which Joy learned advanced technique and an appreciation for art, design and visual communication. After the company closed, she decided to take classes in the art department at Youngstown State University and found her passion as a mixed media artist, graduating summa cum laude with a bachelor’s degree in fine arts. She was actively involved in the local art community, serving for several years on the board of directors of the Trumbull Art Gallery and the SMARTS (Students Motivated by the Arts) Circle and she established and served as the first curator for the Thomases Gallery at the Jewish Community Center in Youngstown. She was proud to be represented by an east coast art gallery and she participated in local art shows. Even throughout her battle with cancer, she remained a productive artist, working in her favorite place on earth, the art studio at the home she shared with her husband.
In addition to her accomplishments in business and college and as an artist, Joy’s lifetime achievements included serving as the Honored Queen of the local chapter of Job’s Daughters when a teenager, her selection as a participant in Leadership Warren when in her thirties, and raising funds for the Northeast Ohio Arthritis Foundation when she trained for and ran her first and only marathon in Anchorage, Alaska at the age of 40. Before her illness, she was an avid long distance cyclist, including a century ride (100 miles) that she completed with her husband.
She had a smile that would light up a room and a kind and generous spirit. She had a gift for bringing out the best in the people who she touched. Despite its physical toll, she managed the hardships of her disease with grace and dignity. She remained an inspiration to her friends and family to the end. In her final months, Joy completed a 19 piece body of art work entitled “The Small Hours” which provides a visual expression of her experience with the diagnosis and management of her terminal illness.
Special thanks to Robert Debernardo, M.D. of the Cleveland Clinic OB/GYN Oncology Department and the wonderful supporting staff of the Cancer Care Center at CCF-Hillcrest where Joy received the majority of her treatment. Special thanks to Dr. Lilyana Angelov and her team at CCF-Main Campus.
Final arrangements will be handled by Lane-Roberts-Clark Funeral Home. At Joy’s explicit request, cremation will be taking place and there will be no calling hours or funeral service. However, it is anticipated that an art show featuring her final work will be scheduled at Youngstown State University at a future date when social distancing is no longer a necessity.
In lieu of flowers, Joy has requested that any material contributions be made to one of Joy’s favorite charities: SMARTS, Ohio One Building, 25 East Boardman Street, First Floor, Youngstown, Ohio 44503, or the Cleveland Clinic Philanthropy Institute, c/o Health Therapy Department, c/o Cleveland Clinic Foundation, P.O. Box 931517, Cleveland, Ohio 44193-1655.