Mrs. Josephine Gurnsey

The story of Josephine Gurnsey begins on February 29, 1924 in San Francisco. She was born as one of four children to John and Katherine DeMartini. Josie stood an un-imposing 4'9"; but don't let that fool you. Growing up with 3 siblings in San Francisco and being of Irish-Italian descent, Josie learned early in her life that a balance of strength, determination, unconditional love and selflessness would earn her the love and respect of everyone she touched. Despite her stature, she is appropriately described as the "pillar of the family", an attribute that would be tested over the course of her life. Josephine married Joe Gurnsey, a municipal railway worker and a WWII veteran of the U.S. Army. They had two children, Patricia and Darlene. Josie worked several part time jobs over the years to make ends meet; however, her most important jobs were that of housewife, mother and, eventually, grandmother. The role of a housewife in the 1950's and 60's was not for the faint or weak hearted. Josie had to possess the organizational skills of a general, the patience of a saint, the charisma of a fortune 500 CEO and the love and affection only a mother understands. Josie was always the one that made sure that everyone from her friends and siblings all the way down to her grandchildren were taken care of. She would drop everything to make sure everyone made it to their doctor's appointments and had any care and attention they needed. She did this tirelessly, testimony to her strength and endurance; she also did these things under the guise of thoughtfulness and generosity. Pillar of the family indeed. She wasn't all business; Josie played the slot machines in Reno and various smaller casinos in California. Then there was bowling; "she loved to bowl", is an understatement. The fact that she bowled well into her 80's is a better illustration of her love for the game. Josie relied on her inner strength several times in her life. She experienced the dismay no grandmother should when Cory passed away; she was a caregiver to each of her three siblings as they left her behind; in 2004, her loving husband, Joe went on to whatever comes next, probably to prepare everyone over there for the likes of Josie. Now, nearly 12 years to the day after her husband - and nearly 92 years after her birth - she is blessed to be among those she loved and we are blessed for having known her and for having been loved by her. Josie's generosity extended far beyond her family. She would donate what she could whenever she could to any cause. From Veteran's organizations to Cancer Research, Josie understood the impact small gestures could have on the big picture. Furthermore, she did not like flowers and would rather help friends, family and strangers alike through her modest contributions. In honor of this, we ask that flowers not be sent; instead, make a contribution to a charity of your choice; tell them it's from Josie. Please join us to celebrate Josephine Gurnsey's life on March 6, 2016 at 1:00 p.m. in Redwood City at Trish Caunday's residence. Please RSVP at JoGurnseyMemorial@gmail.com.

Mrs. Josephine Gurnsey

February 29, 1924 - February 2, 2016