Joyce Dermont was born in Greenbrier County in Roncevert, West Virginia. She spent her early years on the family farm on Second Creek, just a half-mile from Greenbrier River. Her parents were William Preston Smith, a boilermaker for the railroad and Lora Dillion Smith, a homemaker.

During the depression, Joyce moved to Martin, Kentucky due to her father finding available railroad work in the area. She would later move to South Carolina and then Central Kentucky, but in her heart, Martin would always be home. Martin was where she fell in love and married Robert (Bob) Eugene Dermont, and where she gave birth to Theresa Joyce Howard, Mary Maggard, Robert Stephen Dermont and Joseph Daniel Dermont. The people of Martin became a community of friends to Joyce and all the kids in the area viewed her as a second-mother, a confident, or an inspiration.

Her legacy will always be the love that she displayed, not only to her children but to the 5 generations that followed after her. Bob would frequently look at her and say”Look at what you started”, referring to the numerous members of the ever-expanding family.