Maiden Name: Joyce Crowson
Birth Date: 08/12/1948
Birth Place: Baker City, Oregon
Date of Death: 05/14/2024
Place of Death: Reno, Nevada
Introduction:
The Nevada Historical Society Docents are proud to sponsor this legacy page as a tribute to fellow Docent and author Joyce Cox. On and off since 1974, Cox chose to make Washoe County her home until her passing in 2024. Much of her time was spent researching, sharing and exploring Nevada history. Here you will be able to access her educational videos, information about her life accomplishments and enjoy a first-hand account on what it was like to work with Cox on a project for the Nevada Women’s History Project, writing and researching the lives of the First Ladies of Nevada.
Cox’s volunteer contributions are exemplary and include serving as the Nevada Library Association treasurer, finance chair and membership chair. Fortunately for NHS and its visitors, she generously gave her time in our research library, the front office, on the photo team and as editor of our Docent newsletter, while authoring books and narrating early stories of Sparks and Washoe County through historic photographs. — Jody Covington, President of the NHS Docent Council, 2024
Obituary:
On Tuesday, May 14th, 2024 Joyce Cox passed away at the age of 75 from brain cancer.
Joyce was born in Baker City, Oregon on August 12, 1948 to Albert & Woodie Crowson. She was technically the youngest of three sisters, being one minute younger than her twin sister, Janice.
After graduating from Baker High School, Joyce attended Oregon State University where she met her future husband, Greg Cox. They were married in 1972 and four years later had their son, Alex.
Joyce spent most of her professional career as a research librarian, working in libraries in Nevada, California, and Washington State.
Uncomfortable with retirement life, she used her passion for history and storytelling and turned to writing. She was a prolific writer and wrote several articles and books on the history of Nevada, including Washoe County (2011), and Sparks (2017) for Arcadia Publishing. More recently she wrote, Behind the Arch: The Story of Reno, Nevada’s Unique Chamber of Commerce and the Making of “The Biggest Little City in the World”. Her latest book was also the subject of a Nevada Historical Society’s Writer’s Wednesday seminar. She was very proud of her books and her work.
Outside of writing, Joyce was a fantastic cook who reveled in trying new recipes and whose kitchen is a veritable library of cookbooks. She was also an avid reader who went to the library weekly. When she wasn’t reading or cooking, she joined her husband Greg on sailing adventures and travelling.
Joyce is preceded in death by her husband Greg, and her parents Al and Woodie. She is survived by her son Alex, her daughter-in-law Marilyn, her sisters Janice and Carolyn, and her nieces and nephews.
Joyce was an amazing woman who led an amazing life. We will all miss her kindness, her humor, and her infectious smile.
Charitable donations can be made in Joyce’s name to Nevada Historical Society, 1650 N. Virginia Street, Reno, NV 89503, attention Catherine Magee.
Words from a friend:
Written by Patti Bernard
I first met Joyce when she was Head of Reference at the Nevada State Library. As a member of NWHP, I was looking for sources of information about Nevada’s First Ladies to write biographies for each First Lady for our website. The Nevada Historical Society (NHS) had some information but no files specific to these women. I traveled to Carson City to the State Library and Archives. Again, the information was meager with no files specific to the 25 women who held the First Lady office up to 2010.
Joyce became interested in my project and thought it important enough to start files in the Nevada State Library’s clipping file for each lady. I spent hours working with her, as she had access to a myriad of resources. She became so interested in these women that she volunteered to research and write biographies of some First Ladies for our website, www.nevadawomen.org.
She was meticulous in her research and wrote interesting biographies of Mary Poor Bell (1850-1925), who had the shortest tenure in that office of any woman from September 1890 to December 1890, and Elnora Sparks (1857-1947), wife of Governor John Sparks. Joyce supported our programs and events. She was always willing to volunteer her help. We were thrilled when she started to publish pictorial histories for Arcadia Press, and as usual, the photographs that she used were always meticulously researched.
Joyce authored three research books that have been highlighted in previous newsletters. She was honored as a Woman of Achievement by the Nevada Women’s Fund in May 2023. In short, in Joyce’s career as a historian, she made innumerable contributions to research preserving the historical events of Nevada. In her membership with NWHP, she contributed greatly to the research and preservation of Nevada women. She will be greatly missed.
Sponsored by: NHS Docent Council, Reno, Nevada — Posted: July 25, 2024
