Joy Booth Arant (Joy Louise Booth) was born in Palestine, Texas on May 8, 1924, the only child
of James Taplin Booth and Eddie Mills Booth. She spent her youth in Center, Texas, where she .
worked cattle, barrel raced in rodeos and danced in honky tonks with her dad, while learning to
appreciate the finer arts of fashion and entertaining from her mom. She met her husband Rock
(Albert F. Arant) at the Army Air Corps base in Hondo, Texas during WWII.
Being from a small town, she loved the opportunities for travel that her husband's career in the
Air Force provided. From skiing at an isolated radar site in occupied Japan to riding the sheikh's
horse on the desert coast of Libya, she was open to all new adventures. "I just wasn't afraid,"
she would often say.
Her strong faith was a central part of her life. Beginning at the First Baptist Church in Center,
Texas, and culminating with the chapel at Falcon's Landing, she was involved in every church or
chapel where she lived, teaching Sunday school, vacation bible school and uncounted Bible
studies classes, sharing her enthusiastic love for the Lord and His Word. When she and Rock
moved to Falcons Landing she was instrumental in setting up the chapel services, arranging for
military chaplains to come preach. She also had a strong history of volunteering as a Gray Lady
assisting in hospitals, as an Arlington Lady, as coordinator for Falcons Landing Bridge Club and
many other organizations and ministries.
Another love of Joy's was drama and she so enjoyed participating in the many productions put
on by the Falcons Landing Players over the years.
She and Rock were known not only for their great devotion to one another but for their Southern
hospitality and for their amazing moves on the dance floor.
She loved people. She was known for the many stories of her life she loved to tell, but was also
known for engaging people to tell their stories and to live their lives to the fullest, whoever they
were, or wherever they were. Joy was just not her name, but the way she lived her life.
She was preceded in death by her husband Col Albert F. Arant. She is survived by her sons Kirk
F. (Yasha) Arant of Sterling, Va, and Randy Booth (Sherry) Arant of Locust Grove, VA; by three
granddaughters Jessica (Hutch Hutchison) Arant of Omaha, Nebraska, Mariah Booth Arant of
Berryville, VA, and Taplin Haas(Juan Carlos Nogales Yale) Arant of Herndon, VA; by her
step-grandchildren Paul (Trisha) Brown of Chicago, IL, Amanda (Ian) Campbell of Charlestown,
WV, John (Luna) Guy of Locust Grove, VA, and 6 step-great-grandchildren; by her beloved
cousin/brother James (Mona) Campbell of Center, Texas, by her brother-in-law James (Flo)
Arant of Orangeburg, SC, by her honorary third son Matt (Suzanne) Middleton of Christ Church,
New Zealand, and by countless beloved family members in Texas, South Carolina, and Virginia.
Burial will be at Arlington Cemetery at a later date.

In lieu of flowers, donations in Joy's memory maybe made to the First Baptist Church, 117 Cora St., Center, Texas, 75935.