Josephine Rita Iatesta

Josephine Rita Iatesta, formerly Josephine Puglisi, age 82, died peacefully on October 3, 2016. She was predeceased by her parents, Clemente and Angelina Iatesta, and her brothers Matthew and John. She is survived by her twin sister, Gloria, her children, Richard (Debra), Yvonne, Annette (Lee) and Aimee Puglisi, her grandchildren, Richard T. (Kimberly), Gabrielle, and David (Jennifer) Puglisi, and Juliana and Jessica Stikons, her great-granddaughter Amelia, and several nieces, nephew and cousins. Josie, as she was affectionately known, grew up in Philadelphia and graduated from John Bartram High School. She married and became a resident of Binghamton where she was a homemaker and devoted mother. She worked several jobs, including ones for the Binghamton City School District, and later spent many years assisting others as a home health aide. She was a member of the ASPCA and the Humane Society, and a longtime member of St. Mary of the Assumption church. She enjoyed hosting holidays in her home, as cooking and entertaining were her forte, as well as spending time with her grandchildren. She enjoyed a trip to Italy later in life with her sister, and was forever a Jersey Shore girl who enjoyed going to Ocean City almost every summer. Family will welcome friends at Wm. R. Chase and Son Funeral Home, 737 Chenango Street, Port Dickinson, NY on Friday, October 7, 2016 from 7-9pm. A funeral mass will be offered at St. Mary of the Assumption, Binghamton, NY at 9:30am on Saturday October 8, 2016. Expressions of sympathy in memory of Josie may be made to the charity of your choice. Josie's family would like to express their gratitude to the caring staff at Bridgewater Center for Rehabilitation and Nursing, as well as her exceptional caregiver, Carol Madigan.