Joy Alexandra Ruby Eliot

Joy Alexandra Ruby Eliot was born Sally Alexandra Marshall on December 10th, 1979 to David Warren Marshall and Alexandra Elizabeth Marshall (née Richardson), in San Jose, California. She grew up in San Jose and Coarsegold, California. On September 14th, 1981, the birth of Heidi Elizabeth Marshall completed the family.

Joy (Sally) won countless awards, performed in Fiddler on the Roof, played her flute in the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade, and attended an art institute to train as an animator.

She graduated summa cum laude from Cornell in Classics and Art History, with first-class honors from Cambridge in Classics, and with a master’s degree in Ancient Philosophy from Harvard. While at Harvard, she married Robin John Cromwell Eliot on October 22nd, 2004.

She later changed her name to Joy Alexandra Ruby Eliot, honoring both sides of her family by using her mother’s and paternal grandmother’s first names.

Joy and Robin moved to Florida, where Joy taught Latin and later worked as an instructional designer. She published in the most important journal of the latter field. However, her health deteriorated in a number of ways, and, following a serious road accident, she became permanently disabled.

Her intellect spanned from the classical, literary, and philosophical to the scientific and the artistic. She could name just about any bird, animal, or plant, or any show tune. Before her permanent disability, she had great success as a competitive ballroom dancer. She loved to see live musical theatre, plays, classical music, and opera, and to visit art museums. She read voraciously and took great pleasure in nominating and voting for the Hugo literary awards. She enjoyed traveling. She was an outstanding cook, with fascinating insight into food and wine. She couldn’t go out for an evening without at least one stranger complimenting her outfit.

More importantly, she loved. She was the most devoted companion, soulmate, and friend that her husband could imagine. She loved her friends and family and was passionate about social justice.

She died in bed on the morning of May 20th, 2024. She leaves behind her love others, and of all that life has to offer. She is survived by Robin, David, Alexandra, Heidi, and a small army of aunts, uncles, cousins, step-parents, in-laws, and friends.