In Memoriam:
Joy Solovjev Myers

September 26, 1956 to October 30, 2020

A Legacy of Loving Children

Joy Elizabeth Myers, 64, passed away on October 30th, 2020 at her home in Seattle, Washington. She was born in Houston, Texas, on September 26th, 1956, the first of four children of Vsevolod and Valentine Solovjev. Her parents were born in the Soviet Union, met and married in the United States, and moved from Texas to Western Washington in 1960. They settled in Burien, Washington in 1963, where Joy was raised along with her three siblings, Natasha, Sonia, and George.

As a child, Joy attended First Baptist Church in Seattle with her family. Her faith was first and foremost in her life, with her studies and the practice of classical music not far behind. Joy played the violin and developed into a talented pianist.

After graduating from Highline High School in 1975, Joy continued her studies at Westmont College in Southern California, not far from the sandy beaches of the Pacific Ocean that she loved so much. In 1977, she transferred to the University of Washington, graduating with a Bachelor of Arts in Developmental Psychology in 1980. Around this time, she started working at Phinney Ridge Preschool and Daycare, beginning what would become a long career of teaching and helping children.

During her studies at the University of Washington, Joy met George Myers, her partner and love of her life, in 1978 at Trinity church in Burien, Washington. They married on September 26th, 1981, which created a unique celebration trifecta as September 26th was not only Joy’s birthday and their wedding anniversary, but also George’s birthday.

They lived in the Seattle area until 1984 when they moved to Newberg, Oregon while George attended and worked at George Fox College. During their years in Newberg, Joy completed a master’s degree in Early Childhood Education at nearby Linfield College and gave birth to their first child, Garett George, on October 27th, 1988.

In the Summer of 1990, they moved back to a house in the View Ridge neighborhood of Seattle, a place that would become the home where they raised their family and spent the next 30 years together. Two years after moving to Seattle, their second child, Aubrey Joy, was born on January 25th, 1992, completing the family foursome.

During most of the 1990’s, Joy put her energy into raising Garett and Aubrey, and providing childcare and support for a few local families. In 1997 she moved back into the classroom as a Kindergarten teacher at View Ridge Elementary. In 2001, she transitioned to teach pre-school, including 14 years at Christopher Robin and 3 years at Alphabet Soup.

Joy was a woman of deep faith, as those both close to her and many of those more distant knew well. Joy turned to the Lord in both the good and challenging times. The family attended Sunrise Christian Fellowship in the 90’s and, for the past 20 years, have been a part of the University Presbyterian Church community. As evidenced by her educational and vocational
choices, she had a passion for children and helped to foster the development of thousands of youths throughout her career.

Any time spent near water, and especially on a sandy beach, was time well spent for Joy, even more so when that beach led to an open ocean horizon. She frequented Magnuson Park and Greenlake in Seattle and, as often as time would allow, made trips to the Pacific Ocean lining the Washington and Oregon coasts. The soft sand and steady tides of Cannon Beach in Oregon
held a special place in her heart.

Joy is survived by her husband George, their two children, Garett and Aubrey, her three siblings, Natasha, Sonia (Shahrokh) and George (Christie), her nieces Anna, Polina, and Camille, her Uncle Victor (Rosie) and two cousins Lisa and David.