F. Carl Joyner, Jr.

Carl Joyner, Jr.,78, of Hilton Head Island, SC, died July 22, 2020.  He died as he wished, in his own home, surrounded by loving family.

Carl was born in Charlotte, NC, to Frank Carl Joyner, Sr., and Mary B. Joyner.  When he was 8, the family moved to Clinton, NC, where Carl attended school through graduation from Clinton High School.

He and the love of his life, Cynthia Johnson, also of Clinton, NC, were married for nearly 56 years.    

He is survived by his wife, Cynthia; his daughter, Lee Joyner, of Hilton Head Island, and his son, Tommy Joyner (Renee), of Rose Valley, PA.  He is also survived by four grandchildren: William Sheiner, of Philadelphia, PA; Rebecca Sheiner, of Atlanta, GA; and Van Joyner and Jack Joyner, of Rose Valley, PA. He is also survived by a sister, Elissa Joyner Gouge, of Holyoke, Mass.; and a niece, Elise Gouge, of Granby, Mass.

Carl was an electrical engineering graduate of North Carolina State University in Raleigh.  After graduation, he worked for Westinghouse Electric Corp. but spent most of his career with the Square D Company in Columbia, SC.  In 1999, he retired, and he and Cynthia moved to their second home at Hilton Head Island and became a one-house family.

Carl was a born engineer.  He couldn’t stand not to know how things worked; he was continually inventing things.  He adhered to the Engineer’s Motto: “If it ain’t broke, take it apart and improve it.”  After moving to Hilton Head, his first project was to build a garage large enough to house all his tools.  Once his workshop was complete, he spent the next ten years gutting and remodeling his home.   He also loved the beach and spent many happy hours fishing and sailing and watching the world go by on South Forest Beach.  He and his family enjoyed several bareboat sailing charters, sailing the waters of Long Island Sound, Buzzard’s Bay, Chesapeake Bay, and the American and British Virgin Islands.  He was always ready to help neighbors with their projects, and he kept his friends’ computers in tip-top shape. 

In 2009, he fell off a ladder in his yard and sustained a spinal cord injury leaving him paralyzed.  After spending months at the Shepherd Center in Atlanta, Carl and Cynthia returned home to Hilton Head, where surrounded by their friends and family, they discovered that life could still be sweet. Carl invented, constructed, took his grandchildren fishing, and continued to enjoy the beautiful beach of Hilton Head for the remainder of his life.  He will be remembered by many in his custom built bright red “beach buggy” traveling out to the beach with his beloved dog Tallulah in his lap.

A celebration of Carl’s life will be held on the beach when conditions allow. 

In lieu of flowers, donations can be made in memory of Carl Joyner to The Shepherd Center; 2020 Peachtree Road NW; Atlanta, GA 30309-1465, The Deep Well Project; PO Box 5543; Hilton Head Island, SC 29938 or Maranatha Farm Animal Rescue; 342 Crabapple Lane; Ridgeland, SC 29936

To plant a beautiful memorial tree in memory of F. Carl Joyner, Jr., please visit our Tree Store.