Joy Dillard was born on March 20, 1933, and passed peacefully to her heavenly home on March 6, 2026, at the Rising Star Nursing Center.
She was just shy of her 93rd birthday.
She was born to Roy and Ruby Rutledge. She was the youngest of 10 children. Sisters were Edna, Lois, Gal, Frances and brothers were Elmo (Jiggs), Elwood (Mutt), Lee, Alfred, and Leonard.
She attended Rising Star High School.
Joy married Billy Dale Sr. of Cross Plains on December 1, 1948, in Cisco, Texas. They were happily married for 49 years. They had three children, Debra Lynn Glasscock, Billy Dale Jr. and Roy Dean.
She spent many years working at Garrett’s Egg Plant and then Cross Plains Nursing Home until she retired.
Joy loved life. She enjoyed traveling with her sisters, daughter, and friends to places all over the world and traveling with Bill to square dances in surrounding communities. We never knew how she got him to do that.
She was the life of the party at her monthly Bunco get togethers. Always the loudest yelling “Bunco” or just loudly keeping her score.
She could out shop anyone around. She would leave the house early in the morning and not return until the stores closed their doors. Daddy never worried about her. He was just happy when she returned home with a big tub of Kentucky Fried Chicken.
For many years Joy used her cooking talents at the First Baptist Church of Cross Plains where she prepared many delicious funeral dinners, Thanksgiving celebration meals and Christmas dinners.
She never missed a Cowboy’s game, even getting to attend a few or asking, “How bout them Cowboys.” We always had to have Thanksgiving dinner finished in time to set down and cheer them on.
Joy was an avid game player. You knew that when she turned her garage into a big game room with game tables and a pool table. There was always a party going on at her house. It didn’t matter what game it was she was ready to play: pool, throwing horseshoes, Wahoo, volleyball, or Farkle, but 42 was her favorite game. No matter which game she was playing she loved to win.
The family would like to thank the Rising Star Nursing Home staff for taking such wonderful care of our precious mother and grandmother.
Joy was preceded in death by her parents Roy and Ruby Rutledge, her husband Billy Dale Dillard Sr., four sisters, five brothers, grandsons River Pace Dillard and Justin Miles Glasscock.
Joy is survived by her three children, Debra, Bud, Dean, six grandchildren, Angela, Laska, Bree, Rowdy, China, Cutter, Bronc and eight great grandchildren, three grandson-in-laws, Ian, Matt, Mike and one granddaughter-in-law Chloe, son-in-law Bill, daughter-in-law Becky plus many nieces and nephews. She was known by all of them as Mamoo and deeply loved.
Our Mamoo is truly going to be missed.
A graveside service will be held at 11am on Friday March 20, 2026, at Cross Plains Memorial Park W 9th Street, Cross Plains, TX. The family will have a time of Visitation from 6pm-8pm on Thursday March 19, 2026, at Higginbotham Funeral Home 309 NE 4th Street Cross Plains, TX.
