(June 3, 1922 – October 26, 2014)
Virginia Joy Prince, 92, passed away at home on October 26, 2014, surrounded by her four children and their spouses. Joy was born on June 3, 1922, in Salt Lake City, to Rubye Thelma Hertzog and David Floyd Hertzog. David passed away 25 days prior to Joy’s birth.
Joy was raised in Los Angeles, California. After graduating from Los Angeles High School, she enrolled at UCLA. While attending the Beverly Hills Ward of the LDS Church, Joy met Clayton Antone Prince, who was enrolled in dental school at the University of Southern California. Within days of his graduation, they were married on March 13, 1943. Clayton served as a dentist in the Army Air Corps from 1943 to 1946, at which time he and Joy settled in Westwood, where he established his dental practice and they raised four children. They subsequently lived in Midway, Utah, and Gaithersburg, Maryland prior to retiring to St. George in 1987. Clayton passed away in 2012 at the age of 92.
Family, music and cooking were the centerpieces of Joy’s life. For decades she served as pianist, organist or choir director in several LDS congregations, and countless thousands of people were the beneficiaries of her musical talents. Her cooking was legendary, as additional thousands could attest. But she considered her family to be her most important accomplishment in life.
She is survived by her four children and their spouses: John (Beverley Whitehead), Stephen (Meredith Ann Moffat), Gregory (JaLynn Rasmussen) and Mary Lou (Patty Willis); 12 grandchildren; 22 great-grandchildren; and her beloved dogs, Charlie and Dreyfus.
Funeral Services
- Funeral services will be held on Saturday, Nov. 1, at 2 p.m. at the Metcalf Mortuary Chapel, 288 West St. George Blvd, St. George, Utah.
- A visitation will be held Saturday, Nov. 1, from 12:30-1:30 p.m. prior to services at Metcalf Mortuary.
- Interment will be in the St. George City Cemetery.
Arrangements entrusted to the care of Metcalf Mortuary, telephone 435-673-4221. For condolences, full obituary, and funeral listings please visit the Metcalf Mortuary website.