Josephine (Stoppolone) Angrisano

Josephine (Stoppolone) Angrisano, 106, died July 4 in Beverly Hospital, surrounded by members of her family to whom she had given freely from an inexhaustible supply of wisdom and love for longer than any had a right to expect.

Josie was a first-generation American, born in Boston on April 1, 1918, the daughter of Guiseppe and Concetta (Miraglia) Stopplone, from whom she inherited one of the secrets of her longevity: her mastery of the healthy Mediterranean diet. She shared many of her cooking secrets with her children and, later, her grandchildren and their spouses. But Nana’s meatballs remained the gold standard.

In addition to “eat your own food, not in restaurants,” Josie’s rules for a long, happy life included staying active mentally and physically. Until her eyesight betrayed her, Josie was known to read the newspaper cover to cover every day.

Until her final hours, Josie could recount minute details about her remarkable life with clarity and precision. She told of hearing Charles Lindbergh speak about the future of commercial aviation on the Boston Common upon his return from his historic flight. She was there when Dr. Elliott P. Joslin, for whom the Joslin Diabetes Clinic would be named, did house calls to treat her diabetic mother.

She recalled paying a penny to ride the Boston Harbor ferry and described her hair freezing on her winter walks back home from the East Boston YWCA after her weekly hot shower, as cold-water flats were the norm in East Boston. She washed the spokes of her father’s cart, drawn by a horse named Nelly, that he used to deliver bread around Boston.

While Josie never had the opportunity to pursue it full-time, she loved teaching. She studied to get a teacher’s aide certificate and worked for many years as a kindergarten aide in Revere.

When she and her husband, Tony, retired to Naples, Florida, they joined the local Italian-American Club, raising money for the organization by putting on shows. Josie sewed the costumes and sang and danced, while Tony played his saxophone.

Josie also loved to knit, and no family member went without a brightly colored scarf to help keep warm during the winter.

She continued to read to schoolchildren in Florida and upon returning to Massachusetts and taking up residence in a senior living community in Lynnfield, where she lived independently until she was 102.

Even in her final days at a Danvers nursing home, she scoffed at the suggestion that she needed any help beyond her walker to move about. Almost without fail, those who encountered Josie landed on describing with her same word: amazing.

Beyond all else, Josie loved her family. When her adult grandchildren would catch her up on their lives, Nana, bursting with genuine pride, would interject “unbelievable!” or “I don’t believe it!” forcing them to reassess what they considered modest accomplishments. She insisted on holding their hands, and conversations never ended without a bright smile, a hug and a kiss, and an “I love you.”

Asked recently by one of her daughters how she remained positive after so many years, Josie replied, “Keep moving forward; don’t look back.” She’d often tell another of her daughters, “Be the engine, not the caboose.” She will continue to inspire all those she touched to live, love and — perhaps most importantly — eat well.

Josie is survived by her four children and their spouses, Marilyn Rocha (John), Joanne Olson, Joseph Angrisano (Rhonda Kesterson) and Christine Cattoggio (Joseph).

She is also survived by 11 grandchildren and their partners, Julie LoConte (Jeff), John Rocha (Melanie Scallice), Joseph Rocha (Jennifer), Jessica Stryhalaleck (Stephen), Kristopher Olson (Wendy), Scott Olson (Bridget), Anthony Angrisano (Jenna Williams), Liliana Angrisano, Marissa McGrath (Pat), Cara Cattoggio and Joseph Cattoggio; along with nine great-grandchildren, Maxwell Olson; Anthony LoConte; Mia, Chloe and Stephen Stryhalaleck; Parker Olson; Ava Angrisano; and Conlan and Kyleigh Jo McGrath.

She was preceded in death by her beloved husband of 59 years, Anthony; her cherished son-in-law, Ron Olson; and her siblings, Angie Modispacher, Mary Dellagrotte and Michael Stoppolone.

Funeral services will be held at 10 a.m. Thursday, July 11 at Buonfiglio Funeral Home, 128 Revere St., Revere, with burial to follow at Holy Cross Cemetery in Malden. For more information, contact the funeral home at 781-284-3376 or info@buonfiglio.com.

Memorial donations in Josephine’s honor may be made to the Friends of the Lynnfield Senior Center, 525 Salem St., Lynnfield, MA 01940.