Joy Realty Associates, Inc. is a fifth-generation family real estate company that owns and manages apartments in the Fenway section of Boston.

• The first generation of the family business began with great grandfather Barnett "Barney" Gilbert.  Barney arrived in Boston at the early turn of the century and joined with two business partners in building and developing apartment buildings in the Fenway area.

• In 1936, grandfather Moses Gilbert obtained the 11 Tetlow Street building on a foreclosure from Home Savings Bank of Brookline, Mass.  He struggled in the 1930s to rebuild the property and did not become a successful businessman until about 1955. He managed the property until he passed away in 1965.

• After Moses' passing in 1965, father Richard Gilbert inherited the Tetlow Street and Palace Road properties and bought out the shares that his grandmother and uncle had retained.  Then, in 1966, Richard leveraged the properties in order to purchase buildings at 24 and 28 Westland Avenue.  Purchases of 46 Westland Avenue and 32 Westland Avenue followed in 1969 and 1971, respectively.

• Richard's son Paul Gilbert formed Gilbert Realty Trust in 1976 and purchased the buildings at 137 and 143 Park Drive.  Today, Paul owns and manages the business that was started four generations ago. His daughter Rebecca has also joined the family business.