Lajoie "Grandma Joy" (Ray) Culbertson

CULBERTSON, Lajoie, affectionately known as “Grandma Joy,” died peacefully at Ohio Hospice

of Dayton on August 4, 2025 at the age of 93. Lajoie was born in Laurel County, Kentucky on

November 4, 1931 to Lula Ray (Bunch) and Louis Cheney. Lajoie is survived by her children,

Carol Culbertson of Springfield, Ohio; Nancy (Scott) Crawford of Bainbridge, Ohio; Barbara

(William) Richey of Xenia, Ohio; David (Cynthia) Culbertson of Aurora, Ohio; and Roger

(Jennifer) Culbertson of Fairborn, Ohio; her 13 grandchildren and 29 great-grandchildren. She was

preceded in death by her husband, Jack Culbertson, and her son Ron (Cynthia) Culbertson.

Lajoie was a modern-day Proverbs 31 woman: wise, strong, resilient, resourceful, and faithful,

loving her Lord Jesus and all her family throughout her life. After enduring several hardships

growing up, she met her future husband, engineer, and aviator, Jack in high school. After Jack

finished college, they were married on December 23, 1953. Jack and Lajoie were soon blessed with

six children and living a life of prosperity when hardship visited her again, losing her beloved

husband to a heart attack on August 25, 1966. Blessed with her strength and determination, and

relying on God and the body of Christ, she did a remarkable job raising all six children, ages 1-1/2

to 11-1/2, on her own. She supported her family by working in the Mad-River school district as a

teacher’s aide, middle-school secretary, secretary for the board office, and payroll clerk. Despite

the adversity and hardship endured throughout her life, Lajoie was blessed with many children,

grandchildren and great-grandchildren and instilled her JOY and love in all of them.

Please join us in a celebration of her life. Visitation is scheduled for 1pm on Thursday, August 7

with the service following at 2pm at Jones Kenney Zechman Funeral Home, 1002 East High Street,

Springfield, Ohio.

Instead of sending flowers, please consider a contribution to the Yucatan Peninsula Christian

Mission at ypcm-oh.org. Lajoie devoted her life to spreading the gospel message to Mexico as part

of YPCM. Condolences may be shared at www.jkzfh.com.

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