IN MEMORIAM -Tribute to Dr. Jacquelyn S. Joyner (By Gwendolyn S. Bethea and Gail S. Baylor)

Dr.  Frankie Jacquelyn Scotton Joyner was born in 1936 to Reverend H. Franklin and Mrs. Lina Scotton in High Point, NC. She was the family  matriarch – oldest of nine siblings – Charles, Harry, Ted, Teresa, Gwendolyn, Rebecca, Gail, and Richard. She was a dedicated mentor, community member, educational professional, and loyal friend to many. Jacquelyn departed this life on Wednesday, January 21, 2026.

Leaving High Point with her parents,  she lived in Washington, DC for a short while and then began her early childhood education in Philadelphia, PA when her parents moved their young family again during the 1940s.  After returning to High Point, NC, she attended Fairview Elementary and William Penn High Schools.  When Jackie (as she was lovingly called) was ready for college, after being named high school valedictorian at William Penn, she chose North Carolina Central University (f/k/a North Carolina College), a premier HBCU in the state. In college, she joined Alpha Kappa Alpha and was a senior counselor. She earned a degree in mathematics graduating in 1959.  Jackie once stated that the most satisfying part of her  life was the “positive experiences which had many religious underpinnings.” In later years, Jackie earned both a Master of Education degree and a Doctor of Education degree from Virginia Commonwealth University.

Dr. Joyner attributed her success in school to good teachers “who taught you how to survive - they said we had to work harder to excel in that kind of climate.” In 1959, upon learning of her mother’s illness, Dr. Joyner cared for her younger siblings for one year, postponing her teaching ambitions, while her mother recuperated away from home. She became a librarian at the local “blacks-only” library while she assumed this responsibility.

She later achieved her goal of becoming a teacher, starting out in Danville, VA. Dr. Joyner joined Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc. Pi Lambda Mu after moving to Richmond, VA. She was a charter member of the High Point, NC AKA chapter and a fifty-year member of the Upsilon Omega Chapter of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc in Richmond, VA. In addition, she was a charter member of the Commonwealth (VA) Chapter of The Links, Incorporated, where she started the Young Achievers program (the Young Achievers is a program for young men under the Commonwealth (VA) Chapter). She was a charter member of the Carrousels of Richmond, VA chapter.

Dr. Joyner was a member of 31^st Street Baptist Church, Richmond, VA,  where she and her husband, Dr. William H. Joyner, were faithful members for many years. There, she served as a member of the Progressive League and the Missionary Ministry. Dr. Joyner 's life exemplified excellence and commitment to service  beginning with her first and second teaching positions  in Danville and Richmond at East End Middle School and eventually leading to a supervisor of mathematics position in the Richmond  Public School System.

She became a peer reviewer of mathematics textbooks, meeting on several panels hosted throughout the U.S.  She championed and led initiatives to improve the educational achievement of students from myriad backgrounds and stations in life.

 She met the love of her life, the late Dr. William H. Joyner, a native son of Richmond, VA, in 1962. Dr. Joyner  was also a community leader who was an influential figure in the field of education.  They were married for 60 years.

The Drs William and Jacquelyn Joyner Educational Foundation has been established in their honor at the 31^st Street Baptist Church, Richmond, VA.

 Dr. Gwendolyn S. Bethea and Gail S. Baylor, Esq.  both Howard alumna, are authors of this tribute to their sister,