Glenda "Joy" Elaine Schmitt

Glenda “Joy” Elaine Sumner Schmitt, 80, passed away on January 18, 2026, at the Rehabilitation Center of South Georgia in Tifton, Georgia. Born on February 19, 1945, in Tift County, Georgia, where she attended Tifton High School.

Funeral services will be held on Thursday, January 22, 2026 at 2:00 P.M. in the chapel of Albritton Funeral Directors with Rev. Cory Thompson and Rev. Randall Gay officiating. Mr. James Thompson delivering the eulogy. Interment will follow at Macedonia Baptist Church Cemetery. The family will receive friends from 12:30 to 1:30 P.M. at the funeral home before the service.

Her nephews will serve as pallbearers.

Throughout her years, Joy dedicated herself to her work, notably serving as a machine operator at Coats and Clark in Ashburn, Georgia. She found joy in not only her career but also in supporting her husband Dick in running his body shop, where she delighted in the daily challenges and camaraderie of the trade.

Joy's warmth and vivacious spirit made her a cherished figure in the lives of many. She never met a stranger and brought people together with her lively personality. Known for her infectious laughter and playful nature, she loved to joke and pull pranks, leaving fond memories embedded in the hearts of those who knew her.

Her family was her pride and joy. She is survived by her two children, Jay Tucker and Jeff Tucker; her brother Burrell Sumner and his wife Debra; her sister Dianne Carr; as well as many nieces and nephews, who will all miss her deeply.

Joy was also an active member of her faith communities, formerly being a part of Macedonia Baptist Church of Chula and First Baptist Church of Chula, further demonstrating her commitment to her beliefs and the people around her.

She was preceded in death by her beloved husband, Richard “Dick” Werner Schmitt to whom she was married for twenty-two years at his death; her father J. E. Sumner, Sr.; her mother Rubye Clayton Sumner; her sisters Jackie Shearer, Janette Shaw, and June Pitts; and her brother J. E. Sumner, Jr. The legacy of her love, joy, and spirit will continue to resonate in the lives of her family and friends.

Albritton Funeral Directors is in charge of the arrangements.