Obituary for Josephine Oressa Mae Rossi (Thurber)
Josephine Rossi, age 105 of North Vancouver BC, was called home to our Lord on Sunday, September 26th, 2021 after suffering a stroke.
Josephine was born August 11, 1916 in Freeport, Nova Scotia to parents Ernest and Zillah. She had two predeceased sisters, Evelyn and Lucy.
Josephine grew up in the small community of Freeport on Long Island, Nova Scotia. Born to a poor family and losing her father at a young age, Josephine along with her sisters were raised by their mother Zillah. A difficult time for a single mother and three daughters. Facing hardship and sacrifice they persevered through strength of character, determination and community support.
Josephine took pleasure in the simple things in life. Skating on the brook, then being warmed by the bonfire was one of her favourites. This life experience helped instill the virtues that would define her character - strength, resourcefulness, integrity, humility, grace and love.
After high school, Josephine attended teachers college, and went on to teach in Southwest Port Mouton (Queens County) and White Rock (Kings County) for two years. Leaving teaching, she went to Montreal to train as a nurse. Sometime later she returned to teaching for two more years. When WWII broke out, Josephine joined the war effort in Nova Scotia as a clerical worker then transferred to Vancouver. When the war ended, she was transferred to the income tax department where she worked until her marriage to Neil Rossi.
Josephine first met Neil in Nova Scotia and then again later by chance at a dance in Vancouver. They dated for a few years then married in Vancouver July 14, 1951.In 1955 they bought a small house in North Vancouver far up the hill in the trees and started a family.
Both had an appreciation for the value of money and were very resourceful. Neil jacked up the small house, dug a basement by hand, built a new foundation and added an addition that doubled the house size. Josephine sewed her own clothes with an old sewing machine that Neil had bought and repaired. She was very good at finding innovative ways to save money.
In 1955 their daughter Jody was born, and in 1958 their son Gary. Josephine became a stay at home mom taking care of the children, cooking meals, cleaning the house and taking care of most other family matters including finances. As the children grew up, camping became a summer family favourite with trips around the Pacific Northwest. Osoyoos became the favourite for camping and water skiing.
Neil passed away in September of 2000 and Josephine remained alone in the family home. She took up a new hobby - the computer card game FreeCell. This became part of her daily routine, sometimes playing for hours and keeping track of her wins on a spread sheet.
By 2004 the up keep, solitude and safety concerns of living alone in a big house necessitated her decision to move to Summerhill, a retirement residence located at 15th and Lonsdale in the heart of North Vancouver city. This turned out to be a good choice since she soon started making new friends, playing scrabble, taking daily walks, participating in Summerhill's planned outings and, of course, playing FreeCell. By 2015 she had played and won all but a handful of the 32,000 games in the original version of FreeCell. In the second version of the game she went on to play additional games up into the 40,000's.
Josephine came to be admired and respected by her friends and the staff at the Summerhill. Often the best dressed in the dining room (sometimes in clothes she had made herself) she was lovingly referred to by some as “The Queen”.
In the spring of 2019 Josephine suffered a fall in front of the Summerhill elevators. She was sore but no broken bones. This was her second major fall (the first far more serious). It was becoming apparent that she required more care than could be provided at an independent living retirement residence. That spring Josephine was transferred to Vancouver Coastal Health’s Evergreen long term care home, 3 blocks away. Her Summerhill friends would come to visit her in Evergreen. Even though she was now a resident of Evergreen, the Summerhill agreed to host her 103rd birthday so she could celebrate her birthday with her friends.
Josephine had the amazing ability to adapt to change gracefully, never complaining or regretful. She dealt with adversity in her own life with strength and determination. The care of her family and concern for their well-being was unwavering. Her love and guidance through the years has shaped the character of her children, Jody and Gary.
Josephine was born August 11, 1916 in Freeport, Nova Scotia to parents Ernest and Zillah. She had two predeceased sisters, Evelyn and Lucy.
Josephine grew up in the small community of Freeport on Long Island, Nova Scotia. Born to a poor family and losing her father at a young age, Josephine along with her sisters were raised by their mother Zillah. A difficult time for a single mother and three daughters. Facing hardship and sacrifice they persevered through strength of character, determination and community support.
Josephine took pleasure in the simple things in life. Skating on the brook, then being warmed by the bonfire was one of her favourites. This life experience helped instill the virtues that would define her character - strength, resourcefulness, integrity, humility, grace and love.
After high school, Josephine attended teachers college, and went on to teach in Southwest Port Mouton (Queens County) and White Rock (Kings County) for two years. Leaving teaching, she went to Montreal to train as a nurse. Sometime later she returned to teaching for two more years. When WWII broke out, Josephine joined the war effort in Nova Scotia as a clerical worker then transferred to Vancouver. When the war ended, she was transferred to the income tax department where she worked until her marriage to Neil Rossi.
Josephine first met Neil in Nova Scotia and then again later by chance at a dance in Vancouver. They dated for a few years then married in Vancouver July 14, 1951.In 1955 they bought a small house in North Vancouver far up the hill in the trees and started a family.
Both had an appreciation for the value of money and were very resourceful. Neil jacked up the small house, dug a basement by hand, built a new foundation and added an addition that doubled the house size. Josephine sewed her own clothes with an old sewing machine that Neil had bought and repaired. She was very good at finding innovative ways to save money.
In 1955 their daughter Jody was born, and in 1958 their son Gary. Josephine became a stay at home mom taking care of the children, cooking meals, cleaning the house and taking care of most other family matters including finances. As the children grew up, camping became a summer family favourite with trips around the Pacific Northwest. Osoyoos became the favourite for camping and water skiing.
Neil passed away in September of 2000 and Josephine remained alone in the family home. She took up a new hobby - the computer card game FreeCell. This became part of her daily routine, sometimes playing for hours and keeping track of her wins on a spread sheet.
By 2004 the up keep, solitude and safety concerns of living alone in a big house necessitated her decision to move to Summerhill, a retirement residence located at 15th and Lonsdale in the heart of North Vancouver city. This turned out to be a good choice since she soon started making new friends, playing scrabble, taking daily walks, participating in Summerhill's planned outings and, of course, playing FreeCell. By 2015 she had played and won all but a handful of the 32,000 games in the original version of FreeCell. In the second version of the game she went on to play additional games up into the 40,000's.
Josephine came to be admired and respected by her friends and the staff at the Summerhill. Often the best dressed in the dining room (sometimes in clothes she had made herself) she was lovingly referred to by some as “The Queen”.
In the spring of 2019 Josephine suffered a fall in front of the Summerhill elevators. She was sore but no broken bones. This was her second major fall (the first far more serious). It was becoming apparent that she required more care than could be provided at an independent living retirement residence. That spring Josephine was transferred to Vancouver Coastal Health’s Evergreen long term care home, 3 blocks away. Her Summerhill friends would come to visit her in Evergreen. Even though she was now a resident of Evergreen, the Summerhill agreed to host her 103rd birthday so she could celebrate her birthday with her friends.
Josephine had the amazing ability to adapt to change gracefully, never complaining or regretful. She dealt with adversity in her own life with strength and determination. The care of her family and concern for their well-being was unwavering. Her love and guidance through the years has shaped the character of her children, Jody and Gary.