Josephine "Toi" Papa

Josephine Marie Papa (93), affectionately known as Toi, passed into the arms of our lord, at Care One in Cresskill, NJ, on Tuesday, November 22nd, 2022 Born in Manhattan, as the 2nd child of Italian Immigrants, her talents were revealed at a very young age, as she could sing, play violin and piano. At 13 Josey took her first job at a Manhattan factory. There she met a fifteen-year old boy from Sullivan St, named Pasquale Papa, who took her breath away. As WWII erupted and Pasquale enlisted in the Army, they were married before he went into basic training. When he was discharged, NYC was in the grips of a housing shortage, so they lived with her parents until they were able to get their own apartment. At this time, Pasquale was working full-time, while completing his engineering degree at night. Josey was only twenty-three and already raising three children. Her time spent alone was never wasted, as she taught herself to sew, creating clothes for herself and her children. She also took great pride in her home, as she cooked nutritious meals, baked from scratch, crocheted, knitted and took up painting. By the time she was thirty, she and Pasquale moved to a new home in Cresskill, NJ, where she had two more children. While her husband travelled for work, she would engage in many other challenging projects including: ceramic tiling, electrical work, building and refinishing furniture, pottery, jewelry making, and many other creative endeavors. She truly was a remarkable and extremely talented woman, and an extraordinary role model for her children, as she believed the greatest gift a parent could give their children, was their love and time. She is pre-deceased by her husband of seventy-three years, Pasquale, Granddaughter Lisa Wieben and sister Tesse Alacchi. She is survived by her five children; son Mario and wife Lois, son Paul, daughter Linda and husband Louis Wieben, son Christopher and wife Margaret, and son Richard and wife Monica. Along with nine Grandchildren and ten Great-Grandchildren. She is also survived by her sister Eleonoro Realmuto Josey was also Godmother to her nephew Christopher Reynolds and nieces Laura Francis and Andrea Kaumann. Visitation will be at Barrett Leber Funeral Home, 148 Dean Dr., Tenafly, NJ on Wednesday, November 30, 2022 from 4-8 PM. Funeral Mass, Thursday, December 1, 2022 at 10 AM at St. Therese Church, Cresskill. Entombment to follow at Holy Cross Cemetery, North Arlington. In lieu of flowers, donation may be made to the aides and staff at Care One Cresskill (221 County Rd., Cresskill, NJ 07626).

Josephine "Toi" Papa

November 22, 2022