December 5, 1953- May 1, 2022
A Woman of Excellence, Fiercely Loyal, Fiercely Committed to Christ, Finished Her Course
By Dr. Gayle Young, JD
“I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith.” 2 Timothy 4:7
On May 13, 2022, friends and family gathered at the Bethany World Prayer Center and paused to celebrate the rich life and legacy of Bishop Dr. Joyce Marie Plummer. Joyce was the sixth child of the prominent, industrious Scotlandville family of David “Poucy” Plummer and Corean Johnson Plummer.
Joyce leaves a host of family and friends to cherish her legacy and love, including her only son and his family; Jason and Petrenia Jenkins of Jacksonville, Florida, and her four grandchildren, whom she adored, Jadon of Atlanta GA., Jaxon, Jagger, and Preslee Marie of Jacksonville, FL; two sisters, Ora Plummer and Irma Plummer and a brother Joseph (Lolita Renee) Plummer of Baton Rouge, LA and so many other nieces, nephews, family, and friends.
Joyce’s well-manicured and well-used life was celebrated with more than 2-hours of praise, worship, and words of encouragement by her family, friends, and colleagues, both legal, clergy, professional, and social. The memories they shared are evidence that Joyce chose the path of service, lived a life submitted to God, and was filled with Worship because she utterly understood her assignment.
Mayor Sharon Weston Broome, with whom Joyce was employed for 6-years, dubbed Joyce one of the “Originals” of her administration and spoke of Joyce’s competency, loyalty, and trustworthiness.
She was destined to do remarkable things. She attended SU Laboratory School, where her teachers quickly recognized her keen mind and moved her from 2nd to 4th grade. With a solid educational foundation, in May of 1970, she graduated from SU Lab and attended the University of Illinois, Champaign-Urbana, graduating with a BS in Psychology. In 2005 she earned an MDiv from the New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary specializing in Psychology and Counseling and earned her J.D. from Regent University School of Law.
Her greatest earthly joys were her son and her grandchildren. The oldest of Joyce’s grandchildren, Jadon tearfully and passionately strolled the congregation through poignant memories of his grandmother’s love. His grief stole my oxygen; his passion for his Nana and their shared memories inspired me to love more.
“She knew all of my dreams and would pray over them; she would anoint my forehead as she took me through the scriptures,” he said. Jadon fondly recalled and shared, “There was a time that I came back to town (BR) to visit, and all my cousins were busy, and I wanted to play basketball. I was by myself in front of my Aunt Ruth’s house, and I looked to the right in the blazing Baton Rouge sun, I saw my Nana coming across the pasture in her gardening shoes, and she grabbed the basketball and said, “Checkup.”
Jadon made us all laugh! That moment of laughter was a brief reprieve from the piercing grief that engulfed us.
Jadon’s memory of the call he received from his Nana before a very momentous moment in his life was grief-breaking for us. He said, “I remember my Nana called me before my first college (basketball) game, and she told me to go do those boys as she did me that day.”
On behalf of the Baton Rouge Weekly Press, 24/7 Praise Radio, and the Payne family, we thank the Plummer and Jenkins families for allowing us to share with the community a part of the life and legacy of Dr. Plummer. Please accept our deepest condolences; we will be praying for you.