Cardell, Josephine A.

Josephine (Josie) Ann Cardell, (birth name Giuseppina), 95, of Teaneck, NJ, formerly of Forestville, CT, beloved wife, mom, grandmother and friend to all who knew her, passed away peacefully on August 4th, 2021 at 1am at Holy Name Hospital in Teaneck, NJ. Born on Oct. 12th, 1925 to Angelo and Santina (Perez) Senofonte in Hartford, CT, she and her husband Joe were married almost 55 years, until his death in 2002.

Josie is survived by her sister Sana Coutu of Newington, CT; sister-in-law Jean Senofonte of Windsor Locks, CT; children Joe Cardello of Teaneck, NJ and Linda Clark of Fernandina Beach, FL; grandchildren Caelan Cardello and Jason Clark; many nieces and nephews, friends and extended family.

Josie was raised in Hartford's South End. She was a generous, kind, and loving soul who was very sociable but frowned on pretensions. She was comfortable being alone reading, watching an opera on TV, or enjoying her time outdoors. Josie had a wonderful, somewhat twisted, sense of humor; and a dry wit that belied her unadorned use of the English language. Her spaghetti sauce and eggplant parm were sublime.

Josie's life had many happy, fulfilling periods, and her survival of early near-death experiences–a burst appendix as a child, two bouts of tuberculosis, and a head-on car collision–are a testament to her fortitude and longevity. Josie was blessed with a beautiful mezzo-soprano singing voice and an uncanny ability to hold pitch. Her desire to study opera and vocal performance after high school was never realized, but she continued a daily ritual of singing along with classical or pop tunes on the radio throughout her life.

There will be no calling hours or funeral. Burial will take place on Thursday, August 26, 2021 at 11:00 am at Mount St. Benedict Cemetery, Section R/Lot #215, 1 Cottage Grove Road, Bloomfield, CT 06002; (860) 282-0738. We welcome your remembrances after the eulogy and in lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the Alzheimer's Association. A memorial service will be held at Our Lady of Consolation Roman Catholic Church in Wayne, NJ at the discretion of the family.

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