Cecilia Suyat Marshall, Widow Of Justice Thurgood Marshall, Dies At 94

FALLS CHURCH, VA — Cecilia "Cissy" Suyat Marshall, the widow of U.S. Supreme Court Justice Thurgood Marshall, has died at age 94. She died Tuesday morning with her family by her side in Falls Church, according to a statement from the U.S. Supreme Court.

Born in 1928 in Pu'unene, Hawaii to Filipino parents, Suyat Marshall was known as a civil rights activist. She became a stenographer before working for the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People from 1948 to 1955. She married Thurgood Marshall in 1955.

Thurgood Marshall, who become the first Black Supreme Court justice, worked against segregation and Jim Crow laws as a civil rights lawyer even before joining the court. One of the most important cases he fought for was the historic Brown v. Board of Education in 1954, which determined racial segregation in public schools was unconstitutional.

Marshall was appointed to the Supreme Court by President Lyndon B. Johnson and took his seat in October 1967. On the court, he worked on issues like affirmative action for minority people, abortion rights, and fight against Jim Crow laws and discrimination. Marshall retired from the Supreme Court in October 1991 and died at age 84 on Jan. 24, 1993.

After his death, Suyat Marshall continued to promote his legacy of work in civil rights, including his role in the Brown v. Board of Education decision. Other community service roles during her life included serving on the boards of the Supreme Court Historical Society and NAACP Legal Defense Fund.

According to the Washington Post, the couple had two sons and had a home in Falls Church. She is survived by their sons, Thurgood "Teddi" Marshall, Jr., of Arlington, and John "Jean" Marshall of Falls Church, as well as four grandchildren and three great-grandchildren.

Several Supreme Court justices responded to Cecelia Suyat Marshall's death in a statement.

"Cissy Marshall was a vibrant and engaged member of the Court family," said Chief Justice John Roberts in a statement. "She was often in the spouse's box for oral arguments, at Supreme Court Historical Society events, and rarely missed an investiture, memorial service, spouse's lunch, or other Court occasion."

Justice Elena Kagan, who clerked for Justice Thurgood Marshall, said, "Every clerk to Justice Marshall received a sort of bonus: the steadfast friendship and support of his wife Cissy. She was a marvelous woman, and we all loved and admired her."

Funeral arrangements are in the works, the Supreme Court said in a statement.