Joy Sue Wells

Joy Sue Giovengo Wells, aged 71, of Kirtland, NM, in San Juan County, passed away on Sunday March 23, 2025. Joy was the youngest child born to Johnnie Giovengo Sr. and Pearl (Oldaker) Giovengo in Carlsbad, NM. She grew up on a farm in Eddy County, NM. Joy had a unique heritage of Italian, Dutch, and Irish. She enjoyed being a cheerleader for the Loving Falcons and attending her church's youth group. She attended Mid-High and Senior High in Carlsbad, NM, where she graduated in the summer of her Junior year. She married her high school sweetheart, Kevin Wells, right out of high school at age 16, and attended NMSU that fall. She earned an Associate's degree in Secretarial Education from Eastern New Mexico University and completed her Bachelor's degree in Business Education with Honors. She continued her education at UNM, where she majored in Technological and Occupational Education.

Kevin was the love of her life. Having two children, they lived in Roswell. NM, where she was a stay-at-home mom, and then returned to farm in loving NM. She worked part-time in Adult Basic Education in Carlsbad, where she taught Business Education courses and worked for AWARE, a program for pregnant teenage mothers. Kevin's entrepreneurship brought them to Iowa Park TX, where they had a fitness center and fleet fuel business. Kevin and Joy returned to northern NM where Joy was an educator at Tibbetts Jr. High, Heights Junior High, and Rocinate High School for 13 years.

She was an educator with a passionate heart for people. She saw people. She saw their hurt, their joy, and she loved to show up for people. When Joy cared for you, she was all in. She moved a young mom and her infant into her home in the 1980s. She met with students during and after school that were hurting. She has continued to visit and love her friends who are hurting. She showed tireless love and endless care for Kevin for almost 3 months during his illness last year. She said, "It is extremely rewarding to me when I can help anyone. I've learned over the years that no matter what bad things might happen, I'll be okay. If you learn from your experiences (whether good or bad) and are able to help someone else, that provides healing and gratification."

Her love for travel began while she was an educator at Tibbetts Jr. High, taking students all over the world. Joy has traveled to over 50 countries and took travel-related courses through Washington State University. Her paternal grandparents were Sicilian immigrants and spent tireless hours collecting genealogy, connecting with family, and going to visit them in Sicily. She had spent many years working towards her Italian citizenship that she was just granted!! Joy is a member of Los Amigas de Nuevo Mexico and has traveled stateside and abroad representing NM and encourages travel to the State. She owned two Allstate agencies and won many trips, including an Alaskan cruise where Don Henley and the Eagles provided a private concert. She enjoyed collecting antiques with her mother and owned JS Antiques.

Joy loved the Lord and always prayed for her family and friends. Joy is survived by her children, Erik Wells, Serena (Wells) and Eric Meyer, grandchildren, Emma and Madyson Meyer, and Joseph and Joshua Wells, sister, Jody Hooper, brother, Johnnie (and Sharon) Giovengo Jr., along with many cousins, nieces, and nephews. She is preceded in death by her cherished husband, Kevin Vess Wells, parents, Johnnie Giovengo Sr. and Pearl Francis Elizabeth Oldaker. Her joy, beautiful spirit, generosity, and care for others will be cherished by all who knew her. May that spirit live within all of us.

Visitation with the family will be Saturday March 29, 2025, from 10:00 am to 11:00 am, followed by a celebration of Joy's life at 11:00 am at Farmington Funeral Home, 2111 W. Apache St., Farmington, NM. Interment will follow services at Kirtland-Fruitland Cemetery.

Thank you all for your care, sweet comments, calls, and prayers. Mom was so very loved. In lieu of flowers, we ask that you would consider a donation to the Ronald McDonald House. It’s a charity close to both my heart, and my brother’s heart. They took care of my family when our precious niece, Kara, passed away, and when my brother’s youngest son, Joshua, had open heart surgery as an infant.