Joy Bodden Kamins, a native of Mobile, Alabama, died at her Dothan residence Friday, August 20, 2010. A family visitation will be held at 5 p.m today at Evergreen Presbyterian Church, 1103 N. Pontiac Avenue in Dothan. Burial will be at 10 a.m. at Pinecrest Cemetery in Mobile on Tuesday, August 24, with the memorial service following at 11 a.m. at Central Presbyterian Church located at 1260 Dauphin Street. The daughter of Nina Bodden Smith and Marion Chester Smith, Joy grew up at 13 Kenneth Street in Mobile. Her father's work led the family to make their home in New York, Connecticut, Long Island and Sweden during her childhood. (Her mother had previously been married to William Semple, her biological father, but they divorced when she was young. She was raised by her mother, stepfather, and her grandparents, Capt. Charles Sumner Bodden and Nina Madeline Bodden. She was an active youth member of Dauphin Way Methodist Church, but as an adult, she was a member of Central Presbyterian, serving on the diaconate. Mrs. Kamins graduated from Murphy High School in 1956 and attended Tulane University in New Orleans to study architecture. She later attended Sophie Newcomb College and then chose to move to New York City in the late 1950's, living in a young women's residence club on Fifth Avenue and working for a Climax Malignium Corporation as a secretary. She married James Kamins in 1960 in New York and later divorced. She raised their daughter in Mobile, Alabama. She was employed by Merrill Lynch Pierce Fenner and Smith Inc. in Mobile as an administrative assistant for many years. She later worked for the American Red Cross in the blood services division in Mobile. After taking up residence in Dothan in 2005, she enjoyed participating in the Dothan Wiregrass Art League and the Houston-Love Memorial Library Book Club. She was a member of Evergreen Presbyterian Church. She also worked with the Retired Senior Volunteer program. She is survived by one daughter, Jody Kamins Harper of Dothan; two grandchildren, Nina Madeline Harper and James Bertram Harper of Dothan, cousins, Gary Chandler of Amherst, New Hampshire, Barbara Bodden Davidson of Magnolia Springs, Alabama, Carl Ventre of Lafayette, La.; Walter Pershing Bodden of Detroit, Illinois, David Sumner Bodden of Mobile, Leslie Bodden Sheldon Babb of Fairhope, Alabama, John Tyler Sheldon and Anna Kate Sheldon, Shane Sumner Bodden and Jessica Lynn Bodden of Mobile, Casey Chandler of Westfield NJ and Gary Dean Chandler of Joshua Tree, California. She is remembered fondly by many other friends, especially for her quick and playful wit. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Mobile Public Library, Houston-Love Memorial Library, the Humane Society or the Wiregrass chapter of the American Cancer Society.

Published in the Press-Register on August 22, 2010