Robert Laird Joynt

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1936-2023

Robert Laird Joynt passed away in St. Louis, Missouri on August 18th at the age of 86 after a 3-year battle with dementia.Larry, as he was known to those close to him, was born on November 27, 1936 in Toronto, Ontario, Canada to Ruby (nee Jeeves) Joynt and Robert Laird Borden Joynt.He excelled in sports and academics, finishing at the top of his class in high school and starring as a two-way player (plus kicking!) on the football team. He attended the University of Toronto accelerated undergraduate/medical school program, and continued his football career during that time. His 1958 team went undefeated and won the Yates Cup and was later inducted into the U of T Sports Hall of Fame.After graduating from medical school and completing an internship, he joined a family practice in Bracebridge, Ontario. He married Pauline Hall in 1961, and they welcomed children Susan, David, and Cathie before moving to Ann Arbor, MI in 1968 to pursue residency training in Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, one of the first such programs in the country.Following the completion of his training in 1971, he went on to a long and successful career in PM&R, with a focus on electromyography and inpatient rehabilitation. He was a long-time clinician at the Rehabilitation Institute of Michigan, where he served as program director for the Wayne State PM&R residency program in the late 1970s and early 80s. He also rounded on the inpatient service at Flint’s Hurley Rehabilitation Center and had an outpatient practice in electromyography.After his first marriage ended in divorce, he met and married Ellen Behrens, with whom he shared two children, Karen and Andrew. Despite his busy work schedule, he maintained his interest in sports, playing basketball and tennis in the evenings and on weekends, and never missing a chance to play a game of catch in the backyard. The WJR broadcasts of Lions, Tigers, and/or Red Wings games were a constant background sound in the household, and Hockey Night in Canada was a mainstay on television. He loved to teach, and served as an assistant coach for Karen and Andy’s softball, baseball, and basketball teams from the elementary to high school levels, where he was affectionately known as Dr. J.Following his retirement in the late 90s, he put most of his time and energy into two things: tennis and homebuilding. At one point he was on Chippewa Racquet Club’s open, seniors (50+), and super-seniors (65+) travel teams, and was competitive on all three. He participated in (and sometimes won) numerous Ann Arbor tennis tournaments, mostly in doubles and mixed doubles. What daylight hours were not spent practicing his topspin serves on the local public courts were spent constructing an addition to the home he had purchased in 1970, an undertaking for which he learned (from books!) how to do framing, electrical, plumbing, tiling, drywalling, roofing, heating, cooling, and anything else required to build a home. All family members were enlisted in the work at one point or another, which was finally completed about 10 years after he started the project, just in time to start taking on other projects around the home.He was also a voracious reader, consuming books on World War II and other historical events, famous athletes, and mysteries with remarkable speed. He read medical journals and magazines until he could no longer do so, with stacks of JAMAs and Sports Illustrateds always precariously balanced next to his favorite reading chair.Larry was predeceased by his parents Ruby and Laird, ex-wife Pauline, and wife Ellen. He is survived by his sister Betty (Gene), as well as children Susan Aldrich (Blaine), David Joynt (Diane Loos), Cathie Joynt (John Young), Karen Joynt Maddox (Tom) and Andrew Joynt, and grandchildren Lindsay Young, Kelly Bowman (Michael), Allison Young, Miranda Joynt (Eric Cegielski), Rachael Johnson (Ryan), Donovan Maddox, and Ainsley Maddox as well as many much-loved cousins, nieces, and nephews and their families.In lieu of flowers, please consider donating in Larry’s honor to the USTA Foundation.A celebration of life will be held at a later date.