Homegoing service for Mrs. Joyce E. Melvin-Plair "Sweet Lady J" of Tampa who passed away on Monday, July 14, 2014, will be held on Saturday, July 26th, 2:00 p.m. at New Hope Missionary Baptist Church, 3005 E. Ellicott Street, Rev. T.W. Jenkins, pastor with Rev. Victor Ball, officiating. Interment will be in Orange Hill Cemetery. Joyce was born November 29, 1957 in Tampa, Florida to the late Henry and Della Melvin. Sweet Lady J accepted Christ at an early age and was always grateful for her bountiful blessings. Sweet Lady J had an awesome spirit and the ability to reach many people through her love and laughter. She was employed at Lab Corp for 19 years. Sweet Lady J loved to read, dance, and cook and always kept it real. She was preceded in death by her parents and brother, Henry Melvin, Jr. She will be greatly missed. She leaves to cherish her fond memories with her husband, Freddie Plair; children, Zaviera Blount (Zsa Zsa), Gwynndolyn Dominique James (Arthur) and Joshua Bell; grandchildren, Damontae , Zaviera and Kash Blount, Giovanni Plair and Armani and Aranna James; brothers, Johnny Melvin (Brenda) and Milton Melvin (Geraldine); sisters, Gwendolyn Webster (George) and Henrietta Bell (Kenneth); nieces, Monique Hires (Marcus), Elaina Hires (Austin), Alexis Roberts, Ashley Melvin, Diane Crecy (Rodney), Toinette Gaines (Tony), Sheila Johnson, Sharok Whitehead, Angel Melvin, Taraina Holten and Latifa Alexander, nephews, Xavier and Marquis Stewart, Stanley Melvin, Tony Bell, Nathan Henry (Erica), Jimmy, Cedric (Rhondalyn) and Johnny Walker and Ramon Taylor; sisters-in-law, Mary Green, Jackie Causey and Mattie Diaz; brother-in-law Ben Plair; life-time friends, Darlene Jones, Susan Crane, Kathy Stokes, Lisa Warren, and Karen Washington-Woodson; godchildren, Peaches Curtis, Naquai Edwards, Curtesha Penny, Zain Gilmore, Jr. and Denzel Davis; a host other nieces and nephews, great nieces, great nephews, cousins, Blount family and other sorrowing friends. The visitation will be held at Aikens Funeral Home on Friday, July 25th from 5 to 8 p.m. The family and friends are asked to meet at the church on Saturday for the service at 1:45 p.m.