Melba Joyce "Joy" DeWees

Melba Joyce “Joy” DeWees, age 72, passed away peacefully on March 11, 2026, at Cleveland Clinic Indian River Hospital. Born on September 28, 1953, in Vero Beach, Florida, to Lowell and Kathleen Reynolds, Joy remained a lifelong resident of the beachside community she cherished. She attended Vero Beach High School and later raised her family in the town that always felt like home.

Music was one of Joy’s greatest passions. A gifted singer with a deep love for melody and song, she filled her home with music and passed that same love and talent on to her children. In her adult years, she grew deeply devoted to her Christian faith and became a longtime member of Treasure Coast Assembly of God. She faithfully volunteered each Wednesday preparing and printing the church’s weekly bulletin, a task she carried out with dedication until her health no longer allowed.

Joy will be lovingly remembered by her husband of 47 years, Warren Keith DeWees; her brothers, Timothy and Rondell Reynolds; sister-in-law, Darlene Reynolds; her daughter, April Dawn Eaton; three grandchildren; one great-grandchild; and many aunts, uncles, cousins, nieces, nephews, and extended family members. She was preceded in death by her son, Warren Keith DeWees, Jr.; her brother, Kenny Reynolds; and sister-in-law, Janie Reynolds.