Joy was an amazing, gifted teacher whose students and colleagues adored her and who was able to mobilize and motivate everyone with whom she came in contact, through her dedication to the profession, intelligence, wisdom, creativity, and unending supply of energy. She had a true gift, a “don de gente” which lit up the room wherever she went. She cared about each and every person with whom she came in contact and generously gave her time to help improve each and every life she touched, whether the person was a student, a colleague, a needy neighbor or someone on the street. She was an amazing cook, loved and lived life to the fullest, and had a delightful sense of humor that enriched everything she accomplished.
I first met Joy in 1969 at luncheon during a conference at Mount Holyoke and then again in graduate school at Harvard, where we were classmates. Our friendship grew over the years, and we enjoyed many joyous moments presenting at foreign language conferences, presiding at meetings, co-teaching (in-person and over Zoom) at Harvard Extension, writing textbooks, and much, much more. Although the wonderful Joy we all knew in life is gone, her indomitable spirit lives on in all of us.
For a more detailed tribute, please go to the AATSP’s (Association of Teachers of Spanish & Portuguese) obituary page at
https://www.aatsp.org/page/Obituaries1