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A Life of Service: Joyce Williams Receives AARP Virginia’s Top Volunteer Honor
The retired educator has spent decades helping people of all ages lead lives of purpose.
Image courtesy Joyce Williams
For Joyce Williams, retirement did not mark the end of a career in service. It opened a new chapter.
After spending 35 years with Roanoke County Public Schools and becoming the county’s first female middle school principal, Williams continued finding ways to strengthen her community. She has supported older adults, fought hunger, helped protect people from fraud and encouraged others to discover the value of volunteering.
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That record of service has earned Williams the 2026 AARP Virginia Andrus Award for Community Service, the organization’s highest state volunteer honor.
“It is so incredibly fitting that Joyce be recognized for an award named after Dr. Ethel Percy Andrus,” said AARP Virginia State Director Jim Dau. “Like Dr. Andrus, Joyce spent a career preparing young people to lead meaningful lives of purpose only to then dedicate her retirement to helping people of all ages do the same thing.”
Williams’ work reflects the same commitment she brought to education. She remains active with the Roanoke County Retired Teachers Association and the Virginia Retired Teachers Association, which honored her with its 2023 Most Active Member Award.
Her service reaches well beyond education. Williams serves on the advisory council of the Local Office on Aging, supports hunger-relief efforts such as Let’s Give Lunch and Soup for Seniors, and volunteers with Meals on Wheels. The Local Office on Aging recognized her contributions with its Babe & Sidney Louis Memorial Award in 2014.
“Joyce is simply the most effective and dedicated champion for the people in her communities I’ve ever had the privilege to work with,” Dau said.
Image courtesy Brian Jacks
Dau presented Williams with the award during the Sept. 23, 2026 meeting of AARP Roanoke Chapter 4652. In addition to the crystal award, AARP Virginia made a $500 donation to the charity of Williams’ choice, Roanoke Refugee Partnership.
Since 2020, Williams has served as AARP Virginia state president, the organization’s highest volunteer leadership role in the state. She has advocated on issues affecting older adults, participated in more than 1,000 outreach and volunteer events, and promoted volunteer engagement in Virginia and across the country.
She also has served as an AARP Virginia community ambassador and AARP TRIAD representative, working with law enforcement to help protect older adults from fraud. As a leader of the AARP Southwest Roanoke Chapter, she helped guide the chapter through the COVID-19 pandemic and continues to support service projects for local nursing home residents.
The Andrus Award is named for AARP founder Dr. Ethel Percy Andrus. Recipients are selected for improving their communities, enriching the lives of people 50 and older and inspiring others to volunteer. Williams’ decades of work show how one person’s commitment can create opportunities for many others to serve.
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