Mrs. Josephine C. DeBari (nee Buzzanco), age 99 years, passed away peacefully in St. Petersburg, FL on Feb 2, 2021.  Mrs. DeBari spent most of her life in Hoboken, NJ but for the past fifteen years resided in Point Pleasant, NJ.

Josephine was a first generation American whose parents emigrated early in the twentieth century from Sicily.  Her parents placed a great deal of emphasis on education and chose to send her to A. J. Dickinson High School in nearby Jersey City where she excelled as an honors student in a “commercial” course and graduated with honors in 1938.  This provided her with a strong background in communication and management skills, essential to her duties of, eventually, co-managing her family’s pastry shop.

After WWII, Josephine married her husband, Vincent DeBari, born in Molfetta, Italy, and recently honorably discharged from the United States Army.  After briefly residing in Marysville, CA where they both worked for the Del Monte Company, they returned to New Jersey where Vincent worked as a carpenter and cabinetmaker until his death in 1983.

Josephine raised two children, Vincent A. DeBari of Point Pleasant, and Punta Gorda, FL, and Marilynn A. Mitchell of Point Pleasant and St. Petersburg.  Vincent is married to Margaret (Peggy) Danning; Marilynn was married to Peter P. Mitchell prior to his untimely passing in 2016.  Josephine is further survived by her large family: grandchildren, Michele Cleveland and her husband Jay, Christopher V. DeBari and his wife, Rachel, Jonathan P. Mitchell and his wife Kayla and Jillanne McKeown and her husband, Kevin.  In addition, she so loved and enjoyed her seven great-grandchildren, Bridget and Sean Cleveland, Blythe and Whitaker Mitchell, Miles and Colin McKeown and Nathan DeBari.

There will be a private viewing prior to the funeral mass at St. Francis RC Church at 11 am on Monday, Feb 8.  In lieu of flowers, please make any donations to St. Francis Church, Hoboken, NJ or St. Jude’s Children’s Hospital, Memphis TN.