Joyce Cushman Alexander

Joyce Cushman Alexander (Silva), age 87 of Wayne passed Friday, June 11, 2021.

                 “If you remember a single blossom that defied the frost,

           You have no reason to fear this great mystery that is Life;

     For you hold its secret deep within your heart.”   --Winston Abbott

Joyce Annetta Silva was born July 19, 1933, in Arkansas City, Kansas, to Jacinto and Ruby Silva.  Jacinto (Jack) was a jazz musician of Portuguese descent and Ruby was an Irish-Scottish Normal School (Teachers’ College) graduate who taught English to indigenous children on a reservation in Kansas.   When Joyce was a baby, the family moved to Springfield, Mass., and her mother transitioned to being a single mom who ran a boarding house where Joyce grew up.  Undaunted by her modest means, Joyce was devoted to schooling and to pursuing higher education.  She graduated from the High School of Commerce in Springfield, the Salutatorian of her class in 1950.   She was awarded a scholarship to the University of Massachusetts at Amherst where, because of her frequent whistling, her peers nicknamed her “Cricket.”  Joyce graduated third in the Class of 1954 with her Bachelor of Arts in Sociology.

Although she received a full scholarship to pursue graduate studies at Smith College, Joyce was already happily engaged to Walter K. Cushman, Jr. of Springfield, whom she had met in a youth group at South Congregational Church.  Walter and Joyce married on June 19, 1954 and were blessed with four children throughout their 22-year marriage.  After the couple separated, they both went on to re-marry.   While working as a typing instructor for her own business, “CricketType,” Joyce met Dennis Jon Alexander with whom she had a thirty-one year marriage of love and devotion until his passing in 2007.

Throughout her life, Joyce was deeply dedicated to her Christian faith and was a member of the South Congregational Church of Springfield in her youth; Bayport United Methodist church on Long Island in her young adult life; and Pompton Valley Presbyterian Church in Pompton Plains, N.J. in middle age.  For years, she sang in the church choir as the only female tenor. She also volunteered in many capacities with the church, for disabled children, and for racial integration on Long Island.

Joyce was a woman ahead of her time, willing to stand up as an activist for civil rights, social justice, and progressive causes.  She was engaging, articulate, witty, and charismatic.  Her sparkling personality, quick tongue, and keen mind will be dearly missed. She had a strong work ethic and truly prized the value of education, passing the love of learning on to her children. She enjoyed Bible study, classical music (the Three Tenors were a favorite), and reading across genres, including poetry, fiction, and non-fiction.  A few of her coffee table favorites were Scientific American, National Geographic, Psychology Today, Guideposts, and Reader’s Digest.

Joyce also enjoyed a longstanding career in the medical field. She served as a Medical Secretary and Transcriptionist for Chilton Hospital and several local area physicians until she retired in the mid-1980s. For several years, Joyce also enjoyed part-time work for AVON, and received their “diamond pin” as one of the company’s top sales representatives.  She appreciated the AVON company’s positive representation and treatment of women and remained connected to the organization for many years.

No story about Joyce would be complete without mentioning her VW Bus camping trips. She did not have the means to tour the world, so she brought the world to her kids by instilling in them a love of travel and diverse cultures.  The family enjoyed vacations in their 1966 maroon and white VW Bus.  They would camp in a tent alongside the bus during their trips to Washington D.C., Florida, Minnesota, Michigan, and Canada, to name just a few.  Along the way, they visited roadside attractions, museums, and parks; Joyce also made sure her kids swam in all five Great Lakes. On one occasion, a campground was full, so Joyce just pulled the bus to the side of the road and set up camp.  The next morning, when a state trooper arrived to remedy the infraction, Joyce turned on the charm and offered him breakfast.  Eggs were enjoyed, and no ticket was issued.  

Joyce was the devoted wife of Walter K. Cushman, Jr. (d.2018) and Dennis J. Alexander (d.2007); the loving mother of Linda Cushman (Rev. Ed Baugh) of Englewood, N.J.; David Cushman (d.1982); James Cushman of San Mateo, Calif.; and Susan Cushman of Garden City, N.Y.; the charming grandmother of Julia (Dan) Branda of Yorktown Heights, N.Y.; and the dearly loved aunt of Lyn (Peter) Strickler of Malvern, P.A., Nancy (Javid) Valente of Philadelphia, and Cynthia (Scott) Nestle of Summit, N.J.

In lieu of flowers, memorial donations to M.A.D.D. (Mothers Against Drunk Driving), the American Cancer Society, or St. Jude’s Children’s Research Hospital, would be greatly appreciated.

Website for donations to M.A.D.D.

www.madd.org

Website for donations to the American Cancer Society:

www.cancer.org

Website for donations to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital:

www.stjude.org