Joyce S. Stockert

Joyce S. Stockert. . , Mrs. Joyce E. Sullivan Stockert was born in Charlottesville, Virginia, on September 11, 1914, her parent being Leonard and Mary Ogden Turpin Sullivan. She later married Thomas L. Stockert, Jr., of Buckhannon. Mrs. Stockert once worked as a secretary for the B&O Railroad., Joyce Stockert lived in her husband's shadow here in Buckhannon for most of her life. He was a local lawyer who died on August 8, 1992. Upon his death, he bequeathed nearly all of his more than seven million dollar estate to the University of Virginia Law School in Charlottesville, Virginia, leaving his wife with a modest amount to minimize payment of estate taxes as provided for in his will., Mrs. Stockert retained Buckhannon attorney Roy Law to draft her new will, within which she bequeathed the sum of five hundred thousand dollars, representing nearly her entire estate, to the Upshur County Commission for "the operation of the youth center [that] shall provide for entertainment, instruction, recreational athletics, sport and other wholesome activities for the youth of Upshur County." Upon her death on March 1, 1994, the Upshur County Commission was allowed six months to elect to accept her gift, which the Commission did accept in September of 1994., The Upshur County Commission operated this facility as the Stockert Youth Center for 10 years, until the Commission conveyed all interest in the Center to the City of Buckhannon which has owned and operated the Center since 2004. The Stockert Board of Directors includes representative from the City, County Commission, Upshur County Board of Education, WV Wesleyan College, and other at-large members who are passionate about the youth of our community. The City slightly modified the name of this facility to the "Stockert Youth and Community Center" on March 5, 2018., Joyce Stockert in her quiet way became a true heroine to the children of our Buckhannon-Upshur community. While she never had any children of her own, in a way, she ended up adopting generations of our children who she never came to know. No one has done more for the youth of our community than Mrs. Stockert. Our youth of today and future kids of our B-U community will now and forever know about her impact and lasting legacy., The Joyce S. Stockert Plaza was dedicated by the City of Buckhannon, the Stockert Youth and Community Center's Board of Directors, and Buckhannon's Diversity Appreciation coalition during our city's celebration of Women's History Month.