Joy Carol Tschawuschian

Joy Tschawuschian Obituary

04.29.33 - 12.25.23

Joy Carol Tschawuschian, age 90, passed away peacefully on Christmas Day, 2023.  She was born on April 29, 1933, to Reverend Benjamin & Alice Urshan, in St. Paul, Minnesota.  In 1935, when Joy was 2 years old, the family moved to Duluth, Minnesota, where her father, Reverend Urshan continued his pastoral ministry for the next 26 years, before relocating to Albuquerque, New Mexico.

Academically, Joy did extremely well. She was very talented musically - both vocally and playing the piano. After a few piano lessons, she decided to learn on her own and became very proficient in playing ‘by ear’ without the need for reading music.  Joy was a great help in her father’s church, singing hymns and playing with the children.  In her teens, she’d accompany her father to a local radio station for a weekly, 30-minute program.  Joy would play the piano and sing before her father preached a sermon.

Times were hard as Joy was born at the end of the Great Depression and grew up during World War II.  She shared stories of how her father would go out and search for as many loaves of bread that he could afford and give a loaf of bread to every family in the church to help sustain them. This meant that her family sometimes had to do without basic necessities.  Joy’s father told her she would have to work to buy her own clothes.  Joy loved stylish clothes, so she and a friend fudged on their age so they could take a job in a local hospital.  They were assigned to the nutrition department and were trained in nutrition needs for various patients.  Joy loved serving her patients healthy food while they recuperated.

Following High School graduation, Joy took an administrative job at a large corporation in Duluth, Minnesota. She worked there for about a year, then followed her heart’s calling to attend Apostolic Bible Institute in St. Paul, Minnesota.  After completing a couple of years at Bible college, Joy and her friend, Virginia, began evangelizing together and traveled all over the mid-west holding worship services, teaching bible lessons and leading many souls to Christ. 

Shortly thereafter, Joy married Hillis Ray Cole, a minister she met while attending Bible college.  The Lord blessed them with three sons, Hillis, Benjamin and Patrick. The young family continued their evangelistic travels until they moved to Albuquerque, New Mexico to become pastors of Bethel Pentecostal Church. 

In the early 1960's, the Cole family moved to Los Angeles, California where Joy raised her sons during their early years.   She re-entered the work force using her administrative and accounting skills as an assistant for Bernie Gelson founder of Gelson’s Market.

When the boys were young teens, Joy met and married Steve Tschawuschian, and gained a step-son in Jack Tschawuschian.  Years later, when Steve and Joy retired, they decided to move back to Albuquerque and to build their dream home in Corrales. The couple lived there together until Steve passed away approximately 16 years ago.

Joy was active in the Poodle Club of American and championed her own standard poodle, her beloved sidekick Michal. She enjoyed traveling from state to state as they won numerous awards together. Joy was a volunteer in the New Mexico right to life movement and advocate for the unborn. She led a group of clean air activists to protect air quality for the Town of Corrales and was quoted in the Corrales Comment on many occasions. She remained steadfast in reading scripture daily and loved her Aramaic Bible translated by a family friend, Dr. Lamsa. She enjoyed yoga, a naturopathic diet and helping numerous people with health solutions.

Joy is preceded in death by her parents: Benjamin and Alice Urshan, first husband Hillis Ray Cole, and husband Steve Tschawuschian.

Joy is survived by her Brothers:  David Urshan and Paul Urshan; 

Sons:     Hillis Cole, Benjamin Cole, and Patrick Cole; and,

Grandchildren:   Hannah, Anthony, Louis, Penelope, Hillis IV and Hayden Cole.