Obituary for Ann Lindsay Hall

Ann Lindsay Hall, AKA Sister Joy, died peacefully at her home, the Community of Jesus, located on Cape Cod in Orleans, Massachusetts, early Sunday morning, June 3, 2018, surrounded by her Sister family after a long and courageous struggle with cancer.

Sr. Joy was born Ann Lindsay Hall in Pulaski, Virginia to Herbert and Ernestine Hall on March 31, 1945, and grew up on the family farm. She graduated from Pulaski High School and went on to receive her BS in Health and Physical Education at the University of North Carolina in Greensboro. Joining the United States Army, she was commissioned as 2nd Lieutenant in the US Army Reserves, Army Medical Specialist Corps, where she trained as a physical therapist at the Army Medical Service School, Brooke General Hospital, Fort Sam Houston in San Antonio, Texas.  She graduated with honors and received a degree Certificate in Physical Therapy.  She also received the “Outstanding Student Award”, the Emma E.Vogel Award, the highest award the U.S. Army offers in Physical Therapy and was promoted to 1st Lieutenant.

In serving her country, her first duty assignment was staff physical therapist at Madigan General Hospital in Tacoma Washington from 1968-1969 after which she was promoted to Captain.  Her second duty assignment from 1969-1971 was as staff physical therapist at US Army Hospital, US Army Medical Specialist Corps at West Point. After that, she joined the Christian Service Corps and served with the Africa Evangelical Fellowship for the next two years establishing a physical therapy department at Luampa Mission Hospital in Zambia, Africa.

After serving in Africa, spending a year as house mother at Presbyterian Children’s Home in Wytheville, VA, she was honorably discharged from the US Army Reserves in 1974.  From there, she was a traveling staff PT with Massachusetts Easter Seal Society, enrolled in classes at Gordon Conwell Theological Seminary, completed Wycliffe Bible Translators Summer Linguistics program and worked as staff physical therapist at Sancta Maria Hospital in Cambridge, MA.

In November, 1979, Ann became a novice at the Community of Jesus, an ecumenical, Benedictine Community at Rock Harbor, Orleans on Cape Cod.  On August 31, 1980, Ann became a vowed Sister, with solemn vows taken in 1986.  She was given the name, Joy, which she surely was, and her life brought joy to many others. Sister Joy held many responsibilities in the Community and within the Sisterhood, but she will be remembered most as the consummate carver both of wood and stone and the patient teacher of many other would-be carvers. Her largest project, one that consumed her time and energy for the past ten years, was to lead a team in carving figures of all the saints in the Community’s sanctoral cycle, fifty-three panels including 72 figures, of which 51 figures on thirty-four panels have now been completed.  These taller than life-size, bas-relief sculptures carved in cypress, when finished, will completely line the walls of the Community cloister.  Her last beautiful carving was that of the angel Michael standing among the angels and killing the dragon, Satan,

Sr. Joy also gave a faithful testimony to her faith in Jesus Christ in the patient way in which she endured her suffering during the last months of confinement.

She is survived by her three sisters Patricia Guthrie and her husband, Weston of Pulaski; Barbara Byron (her husband Jack is deceased) of Bristol; and Deborah Kelley and her husband, Nathaniel of Draper’s Valley; by her nephews and nieces David, Rebecca, Joshua, Cathy, Mark, Peter and Kimberly; and by many great-nephews and great-nieces.

The funeral service, which glorified the Lord Jesus Christ, whom Joy loved and served, was held at the Church of the Transfiguration at the Community of Jesus on Tuesday, June 5 at 11 am. The burial followed in the Orleans Cemetery on Tonset Road. Memorial gifts may be sent to the Community of Jesus, 5 Bay View Dr., Orleans, MA 02653.