Cecilia “Cissy” Marshall, the wife of the late Supreme Court Justice and civil rights champion Thurgood Marshall, has died at the age of 94, the court said Tuesday.
Her husband became the high court's first Black justice in 1967 following a career as a civil rights lawyer during which he argued the landmark Brown v. Board of Education case that outlawed segregation in public schools. He retired in 1991 and died in 1993 at the age of 84.
What You Need To Know
- Cecilia “Cissy” Marshall, the wife of the late Supreme Court Justice and civil rights champion Thurgood Marshall, has died at the age of 94, the court said Tuesday
- Her husband became the high court's first Black justice in 1967 following a career as a civil rights lawyer during which he argued the landmark Brown v. Board of Education case that outlawed segregation in public schools
- Cecilia Suyat was born in Hawaii in 1928. She moved to New York City and took night classes at Columbia University to become a stenographer
- The Supreme Court said funeral arrangements were pending. Thurgood Marshall is buried at Arlington National Cemetery in asection where a number of other former justices are buried
Cecilia Suyat was born in Hawaii in 1928. She moved to New York City and took night classes at Columbia University to become a stenographer. In 1948 she began working at the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People, where she met her future husband. Thurgood Marshall's first wife, Vivien Burey, died of cancer in 1955, and he and Suyat married later that year. They had two sons, Thurgood Jr. and John.
In a statement, Chief Justice John Roberts called Cissy Marshall a a “vibrant and engaged member of the Court family" who regularly attended court events. “You wanted to sit next to her at any event," he wrote. "She had an easy sense of humor that could be — in an appropriate setting, of course — a bit saucy.”
Justice Elena Kagan, who was a law clerk to Marshall, called his wife a “marvelous woman” and wrote, “Every clerk to Justice Marshall received a sort of bonus: the steadfast friendship and support of his wife Cissy."
The Supreme Court said funeral arrangements were pending. Thurgood Marshall is buried at Arlington National Cemetery in asection where a number of other former justices are buried.
FAQs
WASHINGTON (AP) — Cecilia “Cissy” Suyat Marshall, the wife of the late Supreme Court Justice Thurgood Marshall who worked alongside the civil rights champion at the NAACP, died Tuesday at the age of 94, the Supreme Court announced.
Is Cissy Marshall still alive? ›
What happened to Thurgood Marshall's first wife? ›
Answer and Explanation: Vivian Burey Marshall died from lung cancer. In the early 1950s, Vivian was diagnosed with a lung illness, in which most doctors considered either the flu or pleuritis, but she didn't get any better.
Was Thurgood Marshall's wife white? ›
Marshall's second wife was of Philippino descent. Her name was Cecilia Suyat, and she was born in Hawaii on July 20, 1928. She and Marshall wed in 1955.
What happened to Thurgood Marshall in 1993? ›
After nomination by President Lyndon B. Johnson and confirmation by the U.S. Senate, Marshall served as Associate Justice from 1967-1991. He retired from the bench in 1991 and passed away on January 24, 1993 in Washington, D.C. at the age of 84.
Who was Thurgood Marshall's 2nd wife? ›
Suyat met Thurgood Marshall, then married him in 1955 after Marshall's previous wife, Vivian Burey, died of lung cancer. Suyat married Marshall on December 17, 1955. Roy Wilkins, who was secretary of the NAACP, presided over the service at St. Philip's Episcopal Church in Harlem, New York.
Where is Thurgood Marshall buried? ›
Thurgood Marshall, the first Black justice on the U.S. Supreme Court, announced his retirement from the high court. President George H.W. Bush appointed Clarence Thomas to take Marshall's place. Two years later, Marshall died and was buried in Arlington National Cemetery near the graves of previous justices.
What caused Thurgood Marshall's death? ›
Marshall died on January 24, 1993 of heart failure in Bethesda, Maryland.
Did Thurgood Marshall have a kid? ›
He married Cecilia (Cissy) Suyat on December 17, 1955. They had two sons, Thurgood Jr. ("Goody") and John. Marshall died on January 24, 1993.
How many times did Thurgood Marshall get married? ›
Married first wife Vivian Burey (d. February 1955), September 4, 1929; two sons, Thurgood, Jr. and John William. Married second wife Cecilia Suyat, December 12, 1955.
Thoroughgood "Thurgood" Marshall (July 2, 1908 – January 24, 1993) was an American civil rights lawyer and jurist who served as an associate justice of the Supreme Court of the United States from 1967 until 1991. He was the Supreme Court's first African-American justice.
What was Thurgood Marshall's famous quote? ›
Thurgood Marshall, a prominent figure in American history and the first African American Supreme Court Justice, once said, "In recognizing the humanity of our fellow beings, we pay ourselves the highest tribute." This powerful quote encapsulates the essence of empathy and compassion towards others.
Did Thurgood Marshall have any brothers? ›
Answer and Explanation:
Thurgood Marshall had one sibling. He had an older brother, William Aubrey Marshall, who was born in 1906. Known as 'Aubrey,' his brother attended Liberty University in Pennsylvania. This encouraged Thurgood to also apply to and attend Liberty.
Did Thurgood Marshall get death threats? ›
His representations sometimes put him in personal danger. During one case in Florida, where Marshall represented four Black men wrongfully accused of raping a white woman, Marshall received death threats from the Ku Klux Klan. Marshall, however, refused to be intimidated in his pursuit of justice.
Why was Thurgood Marshall denied? ›
A native of Baltimore, Maryland, Marshall graduated from Lincoln University in Pennsylvania in 1930. He applied to the University of Maryland Law School but was rejected because he was Black. Marshall received his law degree from Howard University Law School in 1933, graduating first in his class.
Is Thurgood Marshall related to John Marshall? ›
Justice Marshall died on January 24, 1993. The first official visit to our college by a member of the Marshall family was in May 2011 when Thurgood Marshall's son, John Marshall gave a keynote address at the annual Scholar and Citizen Reception.
What ethnicity is Thurgood Marshall? ›
In 1967, the President appointed him as the first African-American to be an Associate Justice on the U.S. Supreme Court. Marshall's voice was a liberal one which held great influence early on in his term.
How many grandchildren does Thurgood Marshall have? ›
Thurgood Marshall had two children, Thurgood Marshall Jr. and John W. Marshall. He also had several grandchildren, including Thurgood Marshall III, Elizabeth Marshall, and Jessica Marshall.
Was Sam Friedman a real person? ›
The Bridgeport branch of the NAACP hired local lawyer Samuel Friedman, played in the movie by Josh Gad, even though Friedman's initial reaction was, “I don't think you could find a man on the street that in any way had sympathy for Spell or that believed that this was consensual, including me.” This was especially true ...
Did Thurgood Marshall have any family? ›
Marshall married Vivian "Buster" Burey in 1929, and the couple remained married until her death in 1955. Shortly thereafter, Marshall married Cecilia Suyat, his secretary at the NAACP. The couple had two sons together, Thurgood Jr. and John Marshall.
