Josephine Florence Yuppa

On July 9th, 1946 a warm Summer’s day, Josephine & Charles Reis welcomed their first born, Josephine Florence Reis into the world. As the story goes, the very first time her father Charles saw her, he noticed her very round face & affectionately named her “Cookie”. A nickname that stuck with her her whole life. I like to believe it was also because she was a wonderful cook.

She grew up on a farm in Rivervale, NJ. It was a happy youth with days spent playing in the sprawling backyard with her 3 younger brothers, Charles, Jeff & Tom. She loved Sunday’s spent in the kitchen making a family feast along side her mother & grandmother. Josephine possessed a deep affection for animals. Much like her Disney Princess, Snow White, they were her friends…

As a teen, she enjoyed cruising with her girlfriends, going to Valley High School Football games & having sleep overs which included gossip & chips with onion dip. After High School, Josephine attended Katherine Gibbs graduating with a Secretarial Diploma. At that time, it was mandatory to wear white gloves as you learned to type 60+ words per minute.

In her 20s, She worked as a secretary for various companies. One of her favorites was Teterboro Airport. She lived her best life there watching the jet planes flying in & out with the NYC skyline in the background. At a mutual friend’s wedding, she was introduced to Anthony Yuppa. They eventually settled down in Woodcliff Lake, NJ & started a family. They had 2 children, first Thomas & 2 years later, Tiffany.

Josephine thrived as a Housewife. She made a beautiful home for her family in every way & was the glue that kept them together. She was kind, generous & considerate to all who befriended her. Everything she cooked & baked was perfectly executed & delicious. In her later years, she became a Bank Teller at M & T Bank. With perseverance, dependability & intellect, she moved her way up to Head Teller. Retiring at 72.

Josephine is survived by her son, Thomas Yuppa, 3 grandchildren Thomas, Jacob & Ann Marie & her daughter, Tiffany Yuppa and her partner, Isaiah Thomas.

A memorial service will be held at Becker Funeral Home in Westwood, NJ on Friday, August 11th, from 3:00PM to 7:00PM.