Joyce Thomas Marshall

Joyce M. Thomas Marshall, a cherished mother, grandmother, and community leader, passed away on October 10, 2024, at the age of 79. Born on June 14, 1945, in Helena, Arkansas, to the late Adam Daniel and Mary Lilly Thomas, Joyce, who's twin preceded her in death at birth, brought joy to everyone around her from the very beginning.
After graduating from Eliza Miller High School, Joyce moved to Chicago, Illinois, where she pursued her dreams at Crane Junior College and the Vogue School of Modeling, launching a successful modeling career. She later earned her Bachelor of General Studies with a focus on Social and Behavioral Science from Francis Marion University and continued her education with postgraduate studies at the College of Charleston and the University of South Carolina.
In Chicago, Joyce met her husband, Alandus Eugene Marshall, affectionately known as Super Jock or radio personality Gene Allen. The couple moved to Florence, South Carolina, in 1969, where Joyce began a distinguished career in education and community advocacy. She made history as the first Black teller at South Carolina National Bank in Florence, and held many other significant roles, including supervisor at the Department of Mental Retardation and coordinator of the Extended Day/Summer Camp Programs for Florence School District One, positively impacting the lives of over 800 students each year.
Joyce's commitment to education became especially evident when her daughter, Evelyn, began elementary school. She emerged as a prominent advocate for educational equity, leading initiatives to address disparities in school access. Notably, she served as the first Black State President of the South Carolina PTA, where she was appointed to the Teenage Pregnancy Task
Force by Governor Riley, earning recognition for her dedication to enhancing educational resources.
Throughout her life, Joyce was actively involved in numerous community organizations, including the Hiram Chapter #181 Order of the Eastern Star for over 50 years, the National Council for Negro Women where she was a life member, and the Top Ladies of Distinction. As a devoted member of Trinity Baptist Church, she sang in the Chancellor Choir, and served on the
board of trustees for the Trinity Baptist Church Federal Credit Union. Her contributions earned her many accolades, including recognition in the Congressional Records for her work on the Commission of the Future of South Carolina.
Joyce was preceded in death by her brothers William H. Thomas and Adam Daniel Thomas Jr., and sisters Ethel Mae Trice, Hazel Stamps, Essie Kielingoath, Vassie Finley, Carrie Mae Pitman, Lula Green, and brothers Luther, Roscoe, Harvey, and Maurice Thomas.
She issurvived by her sister Katherine Hall (Markham, IL), brother Larry Thomas (Chicago, IL), sister Carolyn Smith (Helena, AR), daughter Evelyn M. James (Kenneth) of Lithonia, GA, and three sons: Alandus Adrian Marshall (Serette) of Pooler, GA, Aaron Kenyatta Marshall (Nichole) of New Albany, OH, and Stephen Adam Marshall (Sheconda) of Florence, SC, along with ten
grandchildren, one great-grandson, and a host of relatives and friends.
Joyce M. Thomas Marshall's legacy of love, dedication to education, and commitment to community service will continue to inspire all who knew her. She will be deeply missed and fondly remembered by all whose lives she touched.
Please keep the Thomas / Marshall family in your thoughts and prayers during their time of bereavement.
Arrangements are entrusted to Ideal Funeral Parlor, Inc.
Memorials and Condolences may be mailed to Ideal Funeral Parlor, Inc. 106 E. Darlington Street, Florence, SC 29506 or you may visit www.idealfuneral.com to leave a message for the family.