Josephine Kacik

It is with profound sadness and great love that we announce the passing of our dearly beloved & cherished mother, sister, mother-in-law, grandmother, and friend, Josephine Kacik. Josephine passed away suddenly in the early morning hours of October 26, 2021, at the age of 82 and is now joined in eternal life with her adoring husband of 48 years, Paul J. Kacik.

The first of two children, Josephine was born to Dimitri and Rose (Der Avedisian) Azzopardi, on May 7, 1939, in Istanbul, Turkey.  Born to an Armenian, Greek, and Maltese family, Josephine was multilingual, fluent in seven languages.  Her father was Greek and Maltese, her mother Armenian.  Raised Catholic, Josephine attended a Catholic Armenian elementary school and then a French Catholic high school, Lycée Notre Dame de Sion Istanbul.  In 1957, at age 18, Josephine immigrated to London, England with her family.  There she worked for three years before returning to Turkey to work for KLM Airlines.  By this time, she had developed exceptional abilities in seven languages – Armenian, Greek, Turkish, French, English, Spanish, and Italian.  In 1964, she met her American husband, Paul J. Kacik, whom she married in Istanbul, Turkey, and in 1966, they returned to the United States, settling in the Southern California city of Fullerton.

Besides her enormous passion for her children and grandchildren, Josephine had a vast passion for travel and food.  She traveled and lived in numerous countries around the world throughout her life and was a gourmand who loved to discover, explore, and enjoy all kinds of cuisines.  In a similar fashion, she was a collector of antiques and other objet d’art collected from around the world, which she would proudly display around her home.

Josephine is preceded in death by her husband of 48 years, Paul J. Kacik in 2012. She is survived by her children, Anita (Walker) Bardsley of Orinda, CA, Paul (Anjelika) Kacik of Newport Beach, CA, her grandchildren, Paul V. Kacik of Los Angeles, CA, Helena Bardsley of Orinda, CA, and Alexandra Bardsley of Orinda, CA, her sister, Lydia (Cesc Gelabert) Azzopardi of Barcelona, Spain, and by her extended family and many friends, all who have touched her life in countless ways.

As much as we are devastated by our loss and shall miss Josephine greatly, we take solace in the fact that she was blessed to have lived a full life filled with love and adventure.  We also take comfort in all the wonderful memories we have and in knowing that her presence will live on within us forever.

Private family funeral services will be held on Wednesday, November 3, 2021, followed by the burial at Loma Vista Memorial Park in Fullerton, CA.

Flower arrangements can be sent to Loma Vista Memorial Park, 701 East Bastanchury Road, Fullerton, CA 92835.