Josephine Giasone

Josephine Giasone (nee Monteleone), 97, of Fairfield, New Jersey passed away on Wednesday, June 25, 2014. Born into an old fashion Italian family, Josephine knew the responsibility of having to work at a very early age to help provide for a family with nine children. She was born on April 18, 1917, the fifth child and the fourth girl. Originally she provided additional income for the family by using her sewing skills. In 1945 she married the boy she had known for her entire life, which was not an unusual thing at that time in history. World War II had ended. It was not unusual for a woman to stop working in order to start her family. After having two children (Maria and Anthony) and being a devoted wife and mother, she returned to work after 17 years of marriage. In 1962 she began her new work career with Stonco Corp, later to become Kean Corporation, working as an assembler of outdoor electrical lighting. In 1979, after an accident on the assembly line, she retired. She and her husband, Frank, moved to Toms River, NJ where she resided for 34 years. In March of 2013 she fell ill and decided to move back to North Jersey where her daughter could take care of her. She leaves a daughter, Maria & her late husband Svend (Chris) Christoffersen, a son, Anthony & his wife Mary Joh, and grandchildren Celeste Barker & her husband Rob, Joanne Masses & her husband Louis, Laura Gottlieb & her husband Ezra and Frank Joseph Giasone. But her heart belonged to those beautiful great-grandchildren of whom she was very proud, Kevin, Scott, John, & Monica Barker, Christian & Jessica Masses and Elizabeth & Joseph Gottlieb. She had dreamed of seeing a great-grandchild graduate high school and on June 22, 2014 she sat with her aide on the field of West Essex Regional High School and stood proud to watch her first great-grandson, Kevin Robert Barker, graduate with honors. She lived a good life and was always included in her daughter's life, whether it be holidays, vacations, parties or New York City shows. And what about that beautiful weekend cruise around Manhattan Island that Celeste and Rob gave her for a Christmas gift! We were very fortunate to have this calm, beautiful, loving, sweet woman in our lives. Thank you Lord. Funeral Saturday 9 AM from the Ippolito-Stellato Funeral Home, 7 Two Bridges Road, Fairfield. Funeral Mass 10 AM Notre Dame R.C. Church. Entombment Hollywood Memorial Park. Friends will be received Friday 2-6 PM.