Jo Sole

Josephine Sole (nee Battaglia), “Jo” as she was known by all, died peacefully on Wednesday, November 6, 2019 with her family gathered at her bedside.  She was 93 years old and had enjoyed a happy life full of love and leaves her family with a trove of fond memories.  She had retired from Broadway Bank in Paterson many years ago.

Born in New York, New York, Jo moved to Paterson as a young girl and graduated from Central High School.  She met her husband, Joseph F. Sole, in the neighborhood where they knew each other as young kids.  After his return from serving in the U.S. Navy, they married on March 23, 1957.  Settling in the People’s Park section of the city, Jo raised her four sons in a very traditional Italian home with plenty of good food for all.  She was an excellent cook and made great sauce.  Her sons used to sneak into the kitchen and dip bread into her sauce to taste it, and she’d yell at them for leaving bread crumbs in the pot!   Her corn muffins with butter and jelly were simply delicious, and Christmas Eve was her favorite holiday when she would cook all the traditional fish.  She has left them all with wonderful memories that they will each cherish throughout their lifetime.

As a young girl, her father would rent a house in Atlantic City each summer and she came to love the beach.  She vacationed in the Caribbean, took several cruises, visited Florida, California, and made a few trips to Italy.  On any given day, she would venture down to the bus stop and head into New York City for a Broadway show or a concert, and she went to the Paper Mill Playhouse often as well.  She was never one to sit still, and even if she was home she would be busy with crossword puzzles, coloring books, and word searches.  There was certainly no moss growing under her feet, and she lived a good life.

Jo is survived by her four sons; Steven and his wife Maria of Oak Ridge, Joseph of Oak Ridge, Richard of Elmwood Park, and Robert and his wife Cynthia of Hamburg, and four grandchildren; Steven Sole, Jr., Stephanie M. Sole, Robert A. Sole, and Brandon M Sole.  She was predeceased by her husband Joseph in 2005.