Josephine M. Leddy

Josephine M. Leddy was a modest woman, quiet and observant in her ways. She was trustworthy and traditional in her approach to her life and in her relationships. She was tough-minded with the kind of “stick to it” attitude that earned the respect of all who knew her. She was also a woman who was meticulous, carefully disciplined, and orderly in virtually everything she undertook. Realistic about life, she was always at the ready, prepared to take on responsibility.

Josephine was born on December 15, 1929, abandoned as a baby in Yonkers, New York. Her parents were John and Martha Flynn. Josephine was raised in Yonkers, New York. She was brought up to be self-confident and dependable. These were traits that would serve her well throughout her life.

Growing up in the Leddy household was a bit different than most homes. There were good times to be had, but just as often there was a fair share of challenges as well. However, Josephine was able to work through the usual family problems when they appeared, and she was the one person in the family who seemed able to keep the stress at bay. Josephine was raised with one sibling, her younger brother Joseph. Josephine was constantly involved in activities with her brother, and although they may have had the typical rivalries while growing up, Josephine was always consistently loyal to her family.

As a young child, Josephine was never someone who needed to be the center of attention. She wasn’t pushy and never forced her way into games or other activities. Josephine developed a variety of interests, though, and the things she enjoyed doing she did well. She was always curious about the world around her and was often eager to explore it. Josephine was a Girl Scout and did not take part in sports. In her spare time she liked knitting. However, what Josephine enjoyed most was simply playing and spending time with her many friends.

While her teachers and even her friends generally thought of Josephine as being a serious person, she managed to have a pretty good time in high school as she made that critical transition from adolescence to adulthood. She graduated from Blessed Sacrament Academy in Yonkers, New York, in 1948. She enjoyed some courses more than others, having favorite classes and teachers. Her favorite class in high school was science. Josephine was a very logical person who enjoyed learning about factual information. Using her exceptional memory, she was able to learn much through observation. Josephine always seemed to have a command of the facts and was able to make it seem as though she could easily master any problem that might be presented to her.

Always considered to be a solid friend, Josephine was fortunate to have numerous acquaintances and several very close friends during her life. Since she disliked making generalizations about people and preferred to draw her own conclusions based on direct observation, Josephine was able to see beneath the surface of relationships and became a true friend to those who knew her. She was committed to her friends and valued the trust she placed in them. It was not uncommon for Josephine to go beyond the call of duty for others, and friends frequently sought her out for advice because she had a knack for coming up with practical solutions to any type of dilemma. While growing up, her best friend was Ann Coyle. Later in life, she became friends with Gil and Therasa Cyr.

On October 14, 1951, Josephine exchanged wedding vows with William Joseph Leddy at the Saint Peters Roman Catholic Church, Yonkers, New York. Compassionate and devoted to William, Josephine held endearing, traditional values about marriage and family life. She took the responsibility of marriage to heart, giving it her total commitment. She was a source of strength to William and using her gifts at nurturing one-on-one relationships, she worked hard to make her new family happy.

Josephine brought the same traditional values in her marriage to bear on how she raised her children. She was a good parent to them, always firm yet fair in her dealings. She would always listen carefully and think things through before she acted, even when it was an adverse situation. Josephine was also a walking schedule, always seeming to know what everyone in the family needed to do, where they needed to be and when they needed to be there. Josephine was blessed with two children, one daughter, Johna and one son, William III. They were also blessed with five grandchildren, Aidan, Erin, Liam, Zeffa, and Harren.

Josephine greatly enjoyed what she did for a living. She was a hard worker who expected the same in return from her co-workers. She was skilled at working effectively in small groups and in one-on-one situations as well as handling solo assignments efficiently. Josephine enjoyed dealing with concrete ideas and could penetrate any amount of fuzzy information to reach the essential facts. Always able to attend to the task at hand, Josephine was excellent at meeting deadlines. She was an efficient worker, one who paid careful attention to detail, allowing sufficient time to complete one task before moving on to the next. Her primary occupation was as a pre-school teacher. She was employed for 12 years as a pre-school teacher in New Jersey and also enjoyed many years as a pre-school teacher at Bear Creek United Methodist Church after coming to Houston in 1975. Josephine worked hard to be a team player, doing what was necessary in order to get the job done.

Josephine liked to experience things first-hand as well as learn about them. This trait carried over into her hobbies, where she was very methodical in how she organized her activities and categorized things. Since she enjoyed her private time, Josephine always tried to allocate a specific time for working on her hobbies. Her favorite pursuits were sailing, needlework, working with children, and playing with puppies. Josephine was content to enjoy her hobbies alone but was also willing to share her interests with others.

Josephine was a woman who was dedicated and devoted to her faith. She was a member of the Catholic Church for 85 years. During that time, she was President of the Rosary Altar Society. She was a sympathetic woman who valued her beliefs and was willing to work tirelessly for them. Any organization was grateful to have Josephine as a member, since she always brought with her a “stick to it” attitude and a high degree of common sense. Using straightforward methods to successfully complete the job, Josephine was a great planner who was incredibly well organized. It seemed that she was able to schedule any event or activity with ease. She always seemed to know exactly what needed to be done.

Josephine enjoyed traveling and taking vacations. Since she was an early starter and had a knack for planning everything, traveling with Josephine appeared effortless. She enjoyed researching all of her examined options and applying cost-effective planning techniques. Plus, no matter where she traveled, Josephine always had a back up plan at the ready, just in case. Favorite vacations included Lake Limestone and Keansburg, New Jersey.

Josephine was a lover of animals and cherished her pets. One of Josephine’s favorites was Corky, a Boxer. They were best friends for 18 years. Her family was rounded out by her cat, and a Dachshund dog.

When Josephine’s retirement finally arrived in 1997, she was well prepared. She always trusted and placed value in what was logical and in the things she knew, so she was very confident in planning her retirement. She had begun the process early and had her retirement all laid out well in advance. In retirement, she found new pleasure in sailing on Lake Limestone. Even in retirement, Josephine continued to stay in touch with her old friends while making plenty of new acquaintances. She was active in her community and felt fulfilled.

Josephine M. Leddy passed away on August 1, 2014 at in Houston, Texas. Josephine fought a brave battle against Parkinson's Disease. She is survived by her husband William, her children Johna and William III, her grandchildren Aidan, Erin, Liam, Zeffa, and Harren. Josephine was cremated in Houston, Texas. Her services will be held next year.

Commitment is a key word that can be used to describe the life of Josephine M. Leddy. She was committed to living the life of a good woman who was both practical and trustworthy. She was committed to the traditional values that she upheld her entire life. She committed herself to being a hard worker who expected the same effort in return from those around her. Most of all, she was committed to those she knew and loved.