Josephine Chonchol

Josephine Chonchol was born in Baghdad, Iraq, from a family that lived between the Tigris and Euphrates for generations. The daughter of an accountant and a hat-maker, she was a mischievous child who swam, played soccer, rode bicycles, followed the stars in the night sky, and could watch ants for hours on end. At the age of ten she learned chess and played expertly for her entire life.

Josephine was married at 17 to Joseph Abdulezer, many years her senior. They left Iraq in 1948 when Israel became a state. After living in England for a few months they boarded the Queen Mary to the United States and settled in Manhattan and instantly became New Yorkers, dancing at the Copa Cabana and dining on matzoh ball soup and cheesecake at Carnegie Deli. Josephine also discovered she had an extraordinary gift for figurative painting.

Josephine had two sons, Allen and Loren whom she adored. Unfortunately she suddenly became a young widow who had to cope with raising her children alone upon the passing of her husband Joseph. Glamorous, but practical, Josephine took over the responsibility of running the family photography business.

Happily, Josephine eventually met and married Ralph Chonchol and had a close and loving relationship for many years. Their daily ritual included playing vigorous rounds of chess every evening.

A strong, loving, determined woman, Josephine survived the loss of her eldest son Allen. Although heartbroken she did not stop living and loving. Josephine and Ralph traveled extensively and rotated between homes in Caracas Venezuela, Miami and New York.

Josephine was exceptionally beautiful, strong willed, and fiercely proud of her son Loren, a creative technologist and author. She also formed loving bonds with her caregivers, especially Maxima, who lived with her for 11 years.

Josephine will be remembered by her son Loren, daughter in law Susan, her caregivers, her friends, the volunteers at Dorot, and many others who came within her sphere, because with all that beauty, and all that strength, Josephine made herself impossible to forget.

A Funeral Service will be held at Riverside Memorial Chapel, 180 West 76th Street, Frnt 1, New York, NY 10023, US, on October 25, 2026, from 10:30 am to 11:30 am.