Josephine Telesco

Josephine Telesco (née Cuzzi) of North Arlington, New Jersey, passed away peacefully at age 97 on December 2, 2025, in the loving care of her daughters, Linda and Lu-Ann, after a long illness.
Born in Newark, New Jersey, on April 9, 1928, Josephine was the second youngest of the seven surviving children of Italian immigrants Enrico and Virginia (Frezza) Cuzzi.

Forced to work at age 16 to support her widowed mother, Josephine began her working life at Oakes Mill in Bloomfield and later at Schiffenhaus Packaging in Newark. At the age of 22, she married auto mechanic Domenick Telesco. She was widowed at age 49. Except for several years as a homemaker, Josephine remained in the work force, finding her niche as a food service worker extraordinaire. From the cafeteria at the Essex County Courthouse to those at Monroe Machines and Anheuser-Busch, Josephine eventually spent most of her food service career at the Prudential’s Gateway cafeteria, where she made lifelong friends.

But life really began for Josephine at age 65, when her beloved granddaughter Kelly was born that June. She retired to take care of Kelly while Lu-Ann continued to work, and the two of them enjoyed a very close and special relationship. Kelly became her entire world. “She was meant to be a grandma,” Kelly always said. Grandma cheered at Kelly’s sports events, and applauded at all her dance, voice, acting, and music performances. She celebrated her only grandchild’s every milestone: sacraments, graduations, jobs, and her beautiful wedding in 2023. Their close relationship never faltered, and they usually spoke on the phone every day.

Josephine was able to celebrate Kelly’s milestones thanks in part to Dr. Carol Portlock, her oncologist (now retired) at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center in New York, who treated her for stage 4 lymphoma when Josephine was in her 80s. Although the road was bumpy at times, Josephine was declared cancer-free in 2018, just in time for her surprise 90th birthday party.

This past April, we celebrated Josephine’s 97th birthday, and she was doing well. However, the rest of 2025 posed many hospitalizations and health challenges for her from which she was unable to recover. For her final days, Josephine was at home and being cared for by her daughters.

Josephine was predeceased by her parents, her husband Domenick, and all of her siblings: brothers Philip, Anthony, Alfred, and Dominic Cuzzi, and her sisters Philomena Miceli and Albina Dunn, as well as all of her sisters-and-brothers-in-law. She was also predeceased by most of her good friends (including Kitty Daly, Susie MacMahon, and Kitty Reilly), and several of her nieces and nephews.

She is survived by her daughter, Linda Telesco, her daughter and son-in-law, Lu-Ann and Christopher Reilly and her incredibly beloved granddaughter, Kelly and her husband Sean McCarthy. She also leaves behind many nieces and nephews, her dear friend, Margaret Smith, her son-in-law’s brothers, Kerry, Sean, Michael and Brian Reilly and many caring neighbors.

Josephine worked hard her entire life, never owned a home, and rarely traveled far, but she was rich in her friendships and in the love of her family. She thoroughly enjoyed her annual girls’ trips with Linda, Lu-Ann, and Kelly to the Luna-Mar Motel in Seaside Park every August, the New York San Gennaro Feast every September, and the Radio City Christmas Spectacular every December. She loved rubbing out instant lottery tickets, convinced she would win big someday. She especially enjoyed celebrating all the holidays and special occasions with Linda, Lu-Ann, Chris, Kelly, Sean McCarthy, Sean Reilly and Kerry Reilly. Josephine also loved living in her North Arlington garden apartment among neighbors who were like a second family to her. She will be sorely missed!

Visiting will be held in the Prout Funeral Home, 370 Bloomfield Avenue, Verona on Tuesday, December 9, 2025 from 9:00 - 9:40 am. A Funeral Mass will be offered at
10:00 am in Our Lady of the Lake Church, 28 Lakeside Avenue, Verona (parking in the rear lot of the church off Montrose Avenue) on Tuesday. Burial will follow in Holy Cross Cemetery, 340 Ridge Road, North Arlington.

Flowers will be accepted as well as donations in Josephine's memory to either Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, P. O. Box 27106, New York, NY 10087-7106 (www.mskcc.org) OR Blood Cancer United - Donor Services, P. O. Box 98018, Washington, DC 20090-8018 (www.bloodcancerunited.org).

Condolences, memories and photos may be left on Josephine's memory/obituary page at www.proutfuneralhome.com.