Josephine M. Chidiac

Josephine M. Chidiac, age 92 of Andover and formerly of Wayne, passed away peacefully on Saturday, November 9, 2019.

Josephine was born in Paterson, the second of Nicolas and Selma Chidiac’s six daughters. She spent her early childhood there in Paterson before moving with her family to Jacksonville, Florida when she was nine years old. This move to Florida was prompted by her father, a baker by trade, who felt that greater opportunity awaited in the sunshine state.

While living in Florida, Josephine graduated from Immaculate Conception High School with the Class of 1944. A year later, sadly, her father passed away unexpectedly and in 1947, her family moved to Miami where Josephine began to work for Prudential Life Insurance Company. She relocated to Newark, NJ in 1955 via a company transfer and she continued to work for Prudential for another thirty years, retiring in 1985. During Josephine’s years back in New Jersey, she lived in Clifton before residing in Wayne from 1994 to 2014. She had been living in Andover at Bristol Glen Assisted Living for the past five years.

Faith and family were the cornerstone pillars of Josephine’s life.

She was devoted to her faith in God and was a long-time parishioner of Our Lady of the Valley Church in Wayne. When she moved to Andover, Josephine attended Mass at St. Joseph’s R.C. Church in Newton until her health no longer allowed. Then she faithfully watched Mass on television.

In many respects, Josephine’s love of poker and going to the casinos was simply a reason to get together with the ones she loved. She and her five sisters once enjoyed a long-lasting tradition of gathering once a week at one of their houses for a night of poker. It was all for fun and the wagers were always limited to quarters, dimes and nickels. She also loved going to Atlantic City with her sister Margaret and, in more recent years when she moved up to Andover, Josephine’s nieces would take her to The Sands Resort and Casino in nearby Bethlehem, PA where she especially loved playing the slots. Throughout her lifetime, Josephine was also privileged to see much of God’s beautiful creation. She and her sisters, Margaret and Bertha, saw a lot of this great world traveling to such destinations as Spain, Italy, Portugal, Austria, and throughout Canada and the United States, including Alaska, and she and Margaret always enjoyed escaping the cold of Jersey winters by living during that season in Florida. Josephine also found great joy in being a special aunt to her eleven very-much-loved nieces and nephews. There were great memories of frequently getting together with all of them at Josephine’s house for summer afternoons around the swimming pool where they swam and also enjoyed a game of shuffle board or badminton. Josephine also enjoyed spoiling them on their birthdays and other special occasions.    

Josephine is survived by her one sister: Marie D’Annunzio and husband Gabe of Florham Park; eleven nieces and nephews: Christine, John, Carol, Nancy, Alyse, Marie, William, Linda, Jeanne, Lisa, and Gary; twenty-three great nieces and nephews; one great-great niece and one great-great nephew; and numerous cousins. She was predeceased by her parents: Nicolas and Selma Chidiac, and by four sisters: Bertha Chidiac, Harriet Dikdan, Margaret Chidiac, and Laura Homsani.

In lieu of flowers, memorial donations in Josephine’s honor would be greatly appreciated to Little Sisters of the Poor, 140 Shepherds Lane, Totowa, NJ 07512, or Eva’s Village, 393 Main Street, Paterson, NJ 07501.