Josephine M. Coffield's Obituary
Josephine “Josie” Mary Coffield (nee Preston), 82 years old, passed away peacefully on Friday, May 1, 2020. Josie was born January 19th, 1938 in Philadelphia to William and Viola Preston and was one of five children. Predeceased by Viola, William, John, survived by brother James. Beloved wife of 32 years to the late Richard Coffield who died in 1987. Loving mother of Richard Coffield (Gail), the late Edwin Coffield, Josephine (Raymond) Garner, Brenda (Gregory) Manning, and William (Danielle) Coffield. Devoted and cherished grandmother of 17 grandchildren, 25 great-grandchildren, one great-great-granddaughter, and numerous nieces and nephews.
Josie worked in many capacities over the years. As a teenager she worked in the family business pumping gas, bartending, then later working as a cigar roller in a factory, and becoming a pretzel lady at a local elementary school before she pursued her true passion in the healthcare field. Her strong desire to care for others led her to advocate for the elderly and become the friendly neighborhood caregiver. Further devoting herself to others, Josie became a home health aide while attending the Community College of Philadelphia. She spent years of dedication to her education and proudly earned her credentials as an RN at the age of 50. In her nursing career, she worked as a rehabilitation nurse serving at Jeanes Hospital in Philadelphia. Her medical career continued to thrive even beyond the borders of her retirement. She motivated her caregivers to pursue their own degrees by helping them study for their Nclex exams. In later days, she served as a liaison and advocate for fellow nursing home residents.
Josie loved and adored her large extended family above all else. She always took great pride in the success and accomplishments of all of her loved ones. Josie catered to the needs of her family as best she could, always feeding and preparing foods for even the pickiest eaters. Family gatherings including game nights, dinners, playoff games, and holiday celebrations were the most important events on her calendar. In her late days, Josie took pleasure in spending time with her family and savored every last minute.
Josie was a woman of many hobbies and interests. Josie liked to take charge and do things her way, so movies and books were often started at the end because if the ending wasn’t good enough, she didn’t want to give it her time. She loved to challenge herself by completing books of puzzles. When cracking jokes she would laugh so hard her listeners would have to wait for the punchline. She enjoyed reminiscing favorite memories of picking blueberries, getting lost in the woods, and walking through cemeteries reading tombstones with her Grandmother. Sunday mornings consisted of visiting local bakeries for her favorite jelly donut and shopping on QVC. By the way she talked about her rose bushes and flower garden, many would think she had her own miniature Longwood Gardens in her backyard. Her dreams of traveling to visit major landmarks across the US were cut short when she suffered a major stroke in 2004.
Throughout the years, Josie suffered various health conditions which prevented her from continuing her lifelong passions. Her retirement plans were altered but she continued to enjoy life to the fullest with her limited mobility. Josie was known to be a cast-iron woman that was tough as nails. She was a woman of 1,000 lives, she was a fighter, and she overcame every health obstacle that was thrown her way until the Global Pandemic of COVID-19 caused complications and was a hurdle she could not overcome.
Due to the current circumstances of COVID-19, a private service for Josephine will be live-streamed for the public on Thursday, May 7th, at 11:30 a.m. A private interment at Resurrection Cemetery will follow. A Mass and Celebration of Life will be announced at a later date. To share your memories of Josephine, please visit www.givnish.com
In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the charity of your choice.
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