Beloved Malvern Prep Staff Member Dies In Horse-Riding Accident At 58

Obituary and image courtesy Dellavechia, Reilly, Smith, and Boyd Funeral Home.

Carolyn Joy Pancoast, 58, of West Chester, PA passed suddenly on Sat. June 25, 2016.

Born December 18, 1957 in Bryn Mawr, PA to the late Joseph W. and Clara Mae (Seymore) White.

Joy was the youngest of six children. She was preceded in death by her sisters Sandra Lee Brown and Nancy Joan Owens.

She is survived by her loving husband of 34 years, Frank, their three sons, Samuel, Wesley, and Andrew, and her siblings Pamela Jane Moran, Dennis David White, and Mary Elizabeth Shannabrook Leidy.

After graduating from Radnor High School, Joy earned a Bachelor of Arts in Equestrian Studies from Lake Erie College in 1980. She remained an avid equestrian throughout her life as a teacher, trainer, and competitor.

Joy had an undying love for the men in her life: her husband, sons, horses, and black Labs. In recent years, Joy was a proud member of the staff at Malvern Prep where she never failed to greet guests with a cheerful voice and smile. When not busy working at Malvern or the barn, she could be found in the stands at Malvern Prep, Duke University, or Roanoke College supporting her boys.

Joy’s passing leaves an irreparable void in the lives of those who knew and loved her.

She was honored on the blog of a Malvern Prep teacher who was a coworker of Joy's:

"More often than not, Joy was the first person I saw and said hello to each morning. She had one of the warmest, kindest smiles of anyone I have ever known, and a gentle voice that made me and all of our visitors to campus feel truly welcome. For a community that is also a family, Joy’s presence was essential--because, after all, everyone wants to be welcomed home. She had many other wonderful professional qualities too: discretion, timeliness, industriousness, and the most even temper you could imagine."

Relatives and friends are invited to her Visitation Wed., June 29, 2016 from 8:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m., in Our Mother of Good Counsel Chapel at Malvern Preparatory School, 418 S. Warren Ave. Malvern PA; followed by an 11:00 am Mass in Joy's honor.

In lieu of flowers contributions may be made to Chester County Hospital Foundation, 701 E. Marshall St. West Chester, PA 19380.

Arrangements by DellaVechia, Reilly, Smith & Boyd Funeral Home Inc., West Chester, 610-696-1181, www.DellaFH.com