Obituary of Joy Bucknoff

Joy Bucknoff (née Lewis-Jospe) passed away peacefully in her home in Teaneck, NJ on December 17, 2019. Joy was born in Manhattan on June 7, 1926 to Miriam Caplan and Jack (Yaakov) Lewis-Jospe. She married the love of her life, Norman Bucknoff, on December 4, 1949. The couple moved to the Bronx in 1949 before settling in Spring Valley, NY in 1957 to raise their family. Joy and Norman ran two successful delicatessens for years before moving to Florida in 1983. Joy was a loving wife, devoted mother, and active member of the community and PTA. Joy lived in Boynton Beach, FL before returning to the northeast in 2017 to be closer to her family. A lifelong nature lover, Joy took every opportunity to spend time with animals, a trait she passed on to her granddaughter, Melissa, who is now a veterinarian. From feeding the birds outside her Boynton Beach home, to swimming with dolphins in the Florida Keys, to caring for her beloved Brunswick, the family dog, or ‘dog of a lifetime’, as she would insist we put it, Joy found serenity and calm in the company of animals. She was also an avid painter, completing dozens of watercolors and oils-on-canvas throughout her life. Many of her works portray breathtaking landscapes, particularly of the American Southwest. She was also a volunteer and a lifetime member of Hadassah. Joy was gentle, giving, and warm, traits felt by all who knew her. Joy was predeceased by her husband, Norman, in 1995. Joy is survived by her two sons, Jerry and Randy Bucknoff; her two grandchildren, Melissa and Zachary; and her beloved grand-dogs, Tessa and Tramp. Graveside service at Cedar Park Cemetery on Friday December 20, 2019 at 11am. For information www.edenmemorial.com or call (201) 947-EDEN. In lieu of flowers, the family encourages those who knew Joy to consider making a donation to the ASPCA (www.aspca.org).