Obituary for Elizabeth Joshua
Elizabeth Daniel Joshua, age 88, went to be with her Lord peacefully—with her son at her side—on December 23, 2022.
She was born on August 7, 1934, in the village of Ennakkad, Kerala, India, of K.O. and Mariamma Daniel. As the second oldest of seven children, she spent a good portion of her younger years caring for her siblings—especially the three youngest. In her late teens, she requested to leave home to study at the Ida Scudder school of nursing near Madras, India. After graduation, she worked in India until immigrating to Kuwait where she began working at the hospital in Kuwait City. There she met her future husband, Mamkuttathil Geevarghese Joshua, whom she married in May of 1957. They had two children in Kuwait—Suresh and Sudhir—then immigrated to the U.S. in August of 1966.
Sponsored by her older sister, the family settled in the Washington D.C. area. Their priority was to pursue further education with Elizabeth completing her Master’s in Nursing. She eventually worked in several of the D.C. area hospitals doing bedside care and working as an IV therapist. The focus of her life shifted with the birth of their daughter Sunita—born with Down’s Syndrome in February 1974. Due to Sunita’s care, Elizabeth worked part time two or three night shifts per week. By the early 1990s she had completely retired from nursing to care for Sunita; they eventually relocated to Michigan to be closer to their oldest son and his family. In July 2008, with the passing of her husband, Elizabeth continued to manage her household affairs as well the care of Sunita.
Anyone who knew her well understood that Sunita and her needs were Elizabeth’s perpetual concern. In 2018, as she became unable to care for Sunita or herself, she made the difficult transition to assisted living, and Sunita started residing with her oldest brother and his family. Although during the course of her entire life she had taken meticulous care of her chronic illnesses, Elizabeth had a significant downturn in her health and mobility after May 2022. With a continued overall decline, Elizabeth was enrolled in hospice in October of this year, subsequently passing into eternity to be with her Lord on December 23, 2022.
She is survived by her son Suresh (Cheryl) Joshua, and their children George (Karyn) Joshua, Samuel Joshua, Abigail (Kelvin) Simms, Phoebe Joshua, and Simon (Abigail) Joshua; son Sudhir Joshua and his son Benjamin Joshua (with mother Vickie); daughter Sunita Joshua; great grand-children—of whom she was very proud—Ezra Daniel Joshua and Peter Michael Joshua. She is preceded in death by her husband Mamkuttathil Joshua, and grandchildren Hannah Joshua and Stephen Joshua.
Please join us in a celebration of her life and Homegoing on Monday, January 2, 2023, between 10:30-12:30 pm at Ann Arbor Baptist Church, 2150 South Wagner Road, Ann Arbor, MI.
Please sign the Tribute Wall and share a memory of Elizabeth.
She was born on August 7, 1934, in the village of Ennakkad, Kerala, India, of K.O. and Mariamma Daniel. As the second oldest of seven children, she spent a good portion of her younger years caring for her siblings—especially the three youngest. In her late teens, she requested to leave home to study at the Ida Scudder school of nursing near Madras, India. After graduation, she worked in India until immigrating to Kuwait where she began working at the hospital in Kuwait City. There she met her future husband, Mamkuttathil Geevarghese Joshua, whom she married in May of 1957. They had two children in Kuwait—Suresh and Sudhir—then immigrated to the U.S. in August of 1966.
Sponsored by her older sister, the family settled in the Washington D.C. area. Their priority was to pursue further education with Elizabeth completing her Master’s in Nursing. She eventually worked in several of the D.C. area hospitals doing bedside care and working as an IV therapist. The focus of her life shifted with the birth of their daughter Sunita—born with Down’s Syndrome in February 1974. Due to Sunita’s care, Elizabeth worked part time two or three night shifts per week. By the early 1990s she had completely retired from nursing to care for Sunita; they eventually relocated to Michigan to be closer to their oldest son and his family. In July 2008, with the passing of her husband, Elizabeth continued to manage her household affairs as well the care of Sunita.
Anyone who knew her well understood that Sunita and her needs were Elizabeth’s perpetual concern. In 2018, as she became unable to care for Sunita or herself, she made the difficult transition to assisted living, and Sunita started residing with her oldest brother and his family. Although during the course of her entire life she had taken meticulous care of her chronic illnesses, Elizabeth had a significant downturn in her health and mobility after May 2022. With a continued overall decline, Elizabeth was enrolled in hospice in October of this year, subsequently passing into eternity to be with her Lord on December 23, 2022.
She is survived by her son Suresh (Cheryl) Joshua, and their children George (Karyn) Joshua, Samuel Joshua, Abigail (Kelvin) Simms, Phoebe Joshua, and Simon (Abigail) Joshua; son Sudhir Joshua and his son Benjamin Joshua (with mother Vickie); daughter Sunita Joshua; great grand-children—of whom she was very proud—Ezra Daniel Joshua and Peter Michael Joshua. She is preceded in death by her husband Mamkuttathil Joshua, and grandchildren Hannah Joshua and Stephen Joshua.
Please join us in a celebration of her life and Homegoing on Monday, January 2, 2023, between 10:30-12:30 pm at Ann Arbor Baptist Church, 2150 South Wagner Road, Ann Arbor, MI.
Please sign the Tribute Wall and share a memory of Elizabeth.