Lilia “Joy” Stevenson Obituary
Lilia Joy Stevenson, known to most as “Joy,” was born July 4, 1937 in Portales, to the home of Lottie (Harrigan) and Virgil Griffith, and passed from this life on the morning of June 15, 2025 in Portales just a few weeks short of her 88th birthday. Joy grew up in Floyd, where she played half court girl’s basketball in school, and graduated from Floyd High School in 1955. On Aug. 27th of that same year she was married to Thomas O’Don “Ike” Stevenson. They first made their home in Lubbock, TX where she worked as a secretary for the Lubbock Police Department.
When her husband joined the US Navy, they moved first to California. He was later stationed in Guam and Tennessee before returning to California for his last duty station. In 1977, they returned to Portales to make their home. In the late 1970’s she went to work as a secretary at Eastern New Mexico University in the Placement Office. She had been retired since the early 1990’s.
Mrs. Stevenson was a faithful member of the Brazos Street Church of Christ. Joy was blessed with a green thumb, and enjoyed raising flowers. She particularly liked to read, especially romance novels and books by Max Lucado.
She is survived by two sons and daughters-in-law, Joel and Kari Stevenson of Albuquerque and James and Shawna Stevenson of Boerne, TX and a daughter and son-in-law, Suzanne and Stephen Swift of Portales; four grandchildren, Jake and Samantha Stevenson, Delaney and Richard Bew and Noah Swift; and two brothers and sisters-in-law, J. D. and Pat Griffith of Floyd and Joe and Mae Griffith of Burns, WY. She was preceded in death by both of her parents, her husband, Ike, who died December 14, 2010 and by a grandson, Jackson Swift who died September 1, 2018.
At her request there will be no formal services. Rather than flowers, the family requests donations to the Ike and Joy Stevenson Scholarship Fund at ENMU.
