Joy Diane

Hepler

In Loving Memory of Joy Diane Hepler

August 29, 1960 – November 10, 2026

Some people leave memories. Others leave a love so deep that it becomes part of everyone they touched. Joy Diane Hepler was one of those people, and the love she gave will continue to be felt for generations.

Joy Diane Hepler, 66, went home to be with her Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, on Tuesday, November 10, 2026.

Born on August 29, 1960, in Hammond, Indiana, to Tom Shaffer and Joy Durham, Joy lived a life that was as beautiful as the name she carried.

To know Joy was to love her, but more importantly, to know Joy was to know what it felt like to be loved.

She had a gift for making people feel special, valued, and wanted. No one was insignificant in her eyes. She had a heart that made room for everyone, hands that were always ready to help, and a love that never seemed to run out. She didn't need recognition for the countless ways she gave of herself. Seeing someone else happy was often all the reward she needed.

Joy was the one who checked on people, sometimes sending a message out of nowhere just to offer encouragement or let someone know she was thinking about them. She never wanted anyone to feel forgotten or alone. Even when she was facing her own struggles and grief, she still found ways to lift others up. She knew what it meant to hurt, but she never let that stop her from loving people. She kept trying, even when trying was hard.

Joy loved Jesus with all her heart. Her faith was more than something she professed; it was reflected in the way she lived, the people she embraced, and the kindness she extended so freely. She understood that some of the greatest ways to show the love of Christ were also the simplest: a warm embrace, an encouraging word, a helping hand, or simply making sure someone knew they mattered.

Her family was her world. She was the one who kept everyone together, who checked in, remembered the little things, and made sure the people she loved knew how much they meant to her. She loved her children and grandchildren with her whole heart, celebrated their happiness, carried their burdens as though they were her own, and so often put everyone else's needs before herself.

To her children, she was Mom, and there was no one in the world quite like her. Everyone believes they have the greatest mother, but Joy's children will forever believe they truly did. She was their comfort, their encourager, and someone they always knew they could count on. Her love was never something they had to question.

Joy was the kind of person who made the world feel a little safer, a little kinder, and a whole lot more beautiful.

She is survived by her children, Ricky Hepler (Cindy), Jason Hepler (Ashley), and Lisa King-Thompson (Jeremy); her stepchildren, Conni Fanion (Norman), Cassandra Burns (Michael), and Jennifer Addington (Jacob); her grandchildren, Valerie Clemmey (Adam), Ethan Hepler, Noah Hepler, Cole Hepler, Jaylin Hepler, Brock Hepler, Gage Howell, Erica McCubrey, Devin Sullivan, , Josette Addington, Cody Arnold, Gavin Burns, Gideon Burns, and Paige Addington; Great Grandchildren; Addison Clemmey, Aria, Ashton and Aaron McCubrey and her siblings, Chuck Shaffer, Gina Schmidt, Steven Shaffer, Jeannie Hall, and Glenda Bean. She also leaves behind her beloved dog, Harper, who accompanied her almost everywhere she went.

She was preceded in death by her mother, Joy Durham; her brother, Tom Shaffer Jr.; her sister, Debbie Mahdoodi; and her beloved son, Michael Hepler.

While her family takes comfort in the promise of heaven and knowing she is with the Savior she loved, there is an emptiness left behind that words cannot begin to describe. Sixty-six years was simply not enough time with someone who meant so much to so many.

There will be countless moments when her absence is felt, moments when her family longs to hear her voice, feel her embrace, or share just one more conversation. But alongside that sorrow will always be the blessing of having been loved by her.

“The greatest measure of a life is not how many years we are given, but how much love remains when those years are gone. And by that measure, Joy lived a life beyond measure.”

Though heaven has welcomed her home, those who love her must now learn to live with the space she leaves behind. Yet her love will remain in the hearts she comforted, the lives she touched, and the family she held together.

Her name was Joy, and that is exactly what she brought into this world.

She was deeply loved. She will be forever missed. And the world will never be quite the same without her.

Until we meet again, we love you, Mom.