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By MARTY CLEARMollie Joyner's influence in life could be measured by those who revered her after she died. She was 71.
MOLLIE RUTH JOYNER, 1933-2005
MIDTOWN - Even Mollie Joyner's son was surprised by the parade of neighbors who dropped by her house to pay their respects.
"African-Americans, Europeans, even some of the tough street kids, they all said she touched their lives," said her son, Gregory Anderson.
"A lot of older people might be afraid to talk to these tough street kids, but she always took the time to say a kind word to them. And sometimes that's all a person needs."
Mrs. Joyner and her family have been a constant and well-known part of Midtown, a community near West Tampa, for the past 85 years. She died Oct. 24 at age 71.
Mrs. Joyner's parents moved into the house on W Nassau Street in 1920. Mrs. Joyner, whose maiden name was Anderson, lived there until she graduated from high school.
In the early 1950s, spurred by a sense of adventure, she left her hometown and moved to New York City with her boyfriend, Jerry Joyner. She was a strong believer in education and studied to be a secretary.
She and Mr. Joyner later moved to Chicago and had two sons together, Gregory and Ronald. The couple later married, but Mr. Joyner died of natural causes while in his 30s.
Family was always essential to Mrs. Joyner, and she brought her two young sons back to Tampa in the 1970s so she could take care of her ailing mother. Mrs. Joyner, her mother and her sons lived together in the same house where she had grown up.
"She didn't have great jobs, but she took what she had so she could send us to Catholic school, St. Peter's Claver," Anderson said. "She didn't think we'd get a good enough education in the public schools. We were always known for being neat and well-dressed and polite, because that's what she insisted on."
Mrs. Joyner was involved in her neighborhood watch program and was an active member of Mount Pleasant Missionary Baptist Church for many years.
She instilled a sense of spirituality in her two sons. In fact, Gregory Anderson is now an interdenominational minister in New Jersey.
But mostly she instilled a respect for family and people, he said.
"She was awesome, believe me," he said. "She was a very spiritual woman, and she always had time to talk to people."
Although she was strict with her children when they were young, she became their closest friend and confidant after they were grown.
"I talked to her probably every other day, and we would be on the phone for two or three hours, talking about the Bible or whatever," Anderson said.
Mrs. Joyner suffered an aneurysm in her home a few weeks ago. When a neighbor called her and got no answer, the neighbor's son went over and broke down the front door. He found Mrs. Joyner inside unconscious.
She was taken to St. Joseph's Hospital. She never regained consciousness, but Anderson said he was grateful for the neighbors' actions.
In addition to her sons, Mrs. Joyner is survived by eight grandchildren and seven great-grandchildren.