Holiday ‘Joy’ comes to Shepherd of the Valley


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Christmas is a time for family, and the families of Boardman Shepherd of the Valley residents made it a point to stop by. Resident Anne Sylvester (left) was joined by her husband Joe, Joe Briganti (center) joined resident William Neal (front right), and assistant activities director Cookie George (right) also joined the group to show some Christmas spirit.

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Neighbors | Sarah Foor .Rachel Joy hit many high notes in her song-and-dance show at Boardman Shepherd of the Valley on Dec. 23.

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David Quigley provided the comic relief between Joy's sets by reading anecdotes and jokes with Christmas punch lines.

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Shepherd of the Valley resident Dora Muntena settled into her favorite spot during the holidays- right next to the facility's brightly-decorated Christmas tree.

By SARAH FOOR

sfoor@vindy.com

After a month of Christmas carols on 106.1, a live performance can bring a whole new life to the well-worn, well-played holiday classics.

On Dec. 23, singer Rachel Joy put her mark on the timeless tunes to some of her biggest fans at Boardman’s Shepherd of the Valley location.

Joy kept the show simple, only using a low backing track so that her clear voice was the star of the show.

During renditions of classics like “Santa Baby” and “Silver Bells,” residents sang along with verses and choruses. Joy experimented with swing-dance worthy tunes like “Boogie Woogie Santa,” that had the residents exclaiming “bravo!” after her performance.

David Quigley shared holiday jokes, including gems like, “What if the three wise men were three wise women? They would have asked for directions, arrived on time, helped deliver the baby and brought practical gifts.”

After the giggles died down, assistant director of activities Cookie George reflected on her residents’ holiday season.

“Our residents love the entertainment, and especially love Miss Rachel’s voice. In all of our holiday entertainment, we simply focus most on keeping the spirit of giving alive during Christmas.”