Joy Nell Cushman

Joy Nell Cushman, better known as “Coach” to hundreds of synchronized swimmers in Houston and around the world, was born in Houston, Texas on July 22, 1924. The middle child of Mr. and Mrs. Ralph B. Cushman Sr, she was a natural athlete and fierce competitor and loved all kinds of sports. Joy had the heart of a lion, but that heart finally succumbed after leg surgery at St. Luke's Hospital on Sept 22. She was 97.

Joy never married or had children, but was very close to five nephews and a niece, children of her brothers Ralph and Richard. She made sure all of them were swimmers, and all of them spent many hours with her at the family beach house retreat on Galveston Island. Her impact on thousands of young swimmers all over the world after many years of coaching is immeasurable.

It was ironic that it would be her legs which gave her the most trouble in her old age. It had been her legs which propelled her to legendary status in the sports world.

Joy amassed a staggering record as an athlete, coach, Olympic judge and chaperon, serving Synchronized Swimming for seventy years, and she has been recognized in numerous sport halls of fame. The plaques and awards she was given would fill up a trunk. And all while she worked full-time for Shell Oil, crunching numbers and helping to keep the petroleum industry flowing smoothly for 40 years.

Joy ultimately served as an official at six Olympic Games and eleven Pan-Am Games. She had traveled to over 58 different countries when she quit counting. And all for the love of the sport. And she had taught workshops and consulted with other countries in their formation of Synchro (now known as artistic swimming) programs in Mexico, Japan, Spain, Australia, New Zealand, Canada, Austria, and all over South America... The sport, the athletes, were her family, and the loves of her life.

If you would like to make a donation in Joy's name, please do the following:

Go to the website for the USA Artistic Swimming Foundation. www.usaartisticswimmingfoundation.org

Click on the "Donate" button, and that will take you to a donation form. Complete the donation form. In the "Comments" box, note that it is "in Memory of Joy Cushman."

Fond memories and expressions of sympathy may be shared at www.ForestParkLawndaleFH.com for the Cushman family.