Nicole writes of her mother-in-law

For Joyce’s memorial book.

Joyce was my mother-in-law. She was also my friend, and Joyce was a truly good friend to me. One of the few positive things that came out of her illness was that we got to spend some time together just the two of us in June. I remember during the visit that a famous person passed away. I don’t remember who it was, but I remember Joyce saying, “They did so much good. What have I done?”

I think my jaw literally dropped at this. I didn’t know if her statement reflected some profound humility or confusion brought on by all the drugs she was taking. When I told her how astonished I was that she would say such a thing, she stared blankly for a moment and said, “Well, cats. I guess I did something for cats.”

“Yes, cats,” I said, “but what about people?” After all she had raised two sons, nurtured four grandchildren, and touched the lives of hundreds of others, captivating them with her myriad passions whether politics, art, literature, or sports. This was most evident in the extraordinary relationship she developed with a group of Czech glass artists, providing concrete support and encouragement for their work over almost two decades.

Several years back she decided to organize a gallery show for them on 57th Street. How Joyce was going to pull this off in the cut-throat art world of New York was hard to fathom at first, but watching her work, I discovered a profound truth. Joyce was able to succeed where others would have stumbled because she wanted nothing for herself. The joy she derived from helping the people whose work she loved was truly all she needed.

Nicole Fauteux, September 2007