Obituary of Josephine Hempstead

Josephine Hempstead (nee Cece) of Woodland Park, passed away peacefully on December 4th. She was born in Paterson to the late Carmen and Marie Cece and has lived in Woodland Park for the past 72 years. After losing her beloved husband John in 1985, she began working at American Society of Mechanical Engineers, retiring in 1997 as an office supervisor. She was a lifelong parishioner of Our Lady of Pompei Church, serving over time as a Eucharistic minister, the president of the Seniors Club and a member of both the Rosary Altar Society and the Deborah Heart and Lung Foundation.

She was the cherished mother of Pamela Chirico and her husband Frank of Totowa and John Hempstead, Jr. of Woodland Park. She was an extraordinary Grandma to her grandsons, Nicholas, Douglas and Jeffrey and his wife Abby and they loved her dearly. She accompanied the family on vacations to the shore, Disney, Bermuda and Pennsylvania and loved sharing all the good times together.

Her great grandsons, Zachary and Benjamin, will also miss their GiGi.

She was the centerpiece of our family, always there to help, enjoying the holidays together and giving advice freely whenever needed. She was there for all of us and she will be dearly missed. Her love and all the wonderful memories will live in our hearts forever.

She was predeceased by her beloved sister and five brothers and is survived by her many nieces and nephews.

A funeral mass will be offered on Wednesday, December 9, 2020 at 10:00am at Our Lady of Pompei Church, 70 Murray Ave., Paterson, NJ. *Please note that in response to the Covid-19 pandemic, 75 tickets will be available at the church for attendees to receive upon arrival. Burial will follow at Holy Sepulchre Cemetery in Totowa. 

In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be sent to:

St. Jude Children's Hospital

www.stjude.org/donate