Helen Joyce Coffman Martin

Helen Joyce Coffman Martin, 80, of West Hamlin went to be with the Lord December 31, 2017 at St. Mary's Medical Center surrounded by family after a short illness. She was born in Hamlin, WV on February 23, 1937, the daughter of the late James Albert and Mabel Edwards Coffman. She was preceded in death by sister Doris Jean (Lester) Nida and sister-in-law Patricia Coffman. She is survived by brother James Albert Coffman Jr. of Salt Rock and sister and lifelong friend, Carolyn (Dale) Manns of Proctorville, Ohio. She is also survived by her loving and adoring husband, her best friend, of sixty years J. Allen Martin, son James A. "Marty" (Alicia) Martin, Jr. of Hurricane and daughter Beth Allyson (Kevin) Prichard of West Hamlin. Additionally, she is survived by grandchildren--the love of her life--Karrah (Alex) Prichard Wells, Devin and Lindsey Prichard, and Adam, Sarah, and Leah Martin. Joyce leaves behind numerous nieces and nephews whom she cared about very much. She had many friends that she deeply loved including a special one, Carole Bates. Joyce was a graduate of West Hamlin Grade School, Guyan Valley High School (class of 1955) and Marshall College (class of 1959) where she received an A.B. Degree in Education. While in high school she was a majorette and band member in the Lincoln County Band. After college, she enjoyed a distinguished twenty-six year teaching career in the Clay, Wayne, and Lincoln County school systems. Much of her career consisted of teaching Language Arts at Guyan Valley High School where she is a member of the school's Teacher Hall of Fame. Joyce was passionate about her teaching and about the success of her students whom she very much cared about. She continued to be involved in the education field after her retirement. She served as President of the RHO Chapter of the teaching sorority Delta Kappa Gamma. Joyce was a member of Center Point Baptist Church where she played the piano, directed plays, served in the youth program, and was active in various other areas. She was a passionate 4H participant and leader, a talented seamstress, a creative designer of crafts, and skilled crocheter. Joyce truly loved life and everything she was a part of, no matter how trivial. In her later years, she loved spending time with Allen at their lake house in Tennessee.
The family wishes to thank three special family members, Shawn, Amy, and Lora, for their loving devotion in caring for their Aunt Joyce while in the hospital.
Visitation will be from 6:00-8:00 p.m. Wednesday January 3, 2018, at the McGhee-Handley Funeral Home, 6670 McClellan St. in West Hamlin. Funeral services will be conducted at 11:00 a.m. on Thursday January 4, 2018 at Center Point Baptist Church in West Hamlin.