On April 16, 2026, the matriarch of our family, Josephine (DiMauro) Russo peacefully passed away with her family by her side at the age of 85.Josie was born to Santina and Rosario DiMauro on March 31,1941. She married the love of her life, James (Straw) Russo on June 24, 1961 and they were married for 52 beautiful years before his passing. Together she and Jimmy raised their two children Michael and Sandra.Josie worked for Connecticut Light & Power in the early years of her marriage. She left to have her children in 1963 and was an at home mom until 1976 when she went to work at St. Mary's School as a school secretary and teacher's aide. In 1981 she went back to CL&P, at that time known as Northeast Utilities, as an Administrative Secretary in Nuclear Records. She retired from NU after 17 years to help care for her mother and grandchildren.In her earlier years, Josie volunteered for many roles at including den leader for Cub Scouts, volunteering at St. Sebastian's Feast, including 3 years as the feast book chair. However, the volunteer role she enjoyed the most and reminisced about frequently was that of cheerleading coach for St. Sebastian's CYO squads from 1976-1981 along with her sister-in-law, Dolores DiMauro. More recently Josie served on the committee for her Middletown High School reunions, Class of 1959. In 2024 they celebrated their 65th reunion.Her favorite memories were of the weekend trips she made with Jimmy and the many family car-trip vacations taken over the years to Florida, Niagara Falls and Washington D.C. and she often joked about having to stop at every historical site for Jimmy along the way! Once the grandchildren came along, more family trips were taken, but the trips to Disney were her and Jimmy's favorite.In recent years, Josie enjoyed her many dear friends. Breakfast clubs on Wednesday, Friday, and Sunday mornings, Pokeno at the Italian American Civic Order with her ladies, her bowling group on Tuesday mornings at Bowl-A-Rama, the monthly lunches with the "Dixie Chics" and her high school friends, and finally, her monthly Red Hat Society lunches. Josie loved a good game of Uno!, watching (and critiquing) her lady UConn Huskies, her Lifetime movies, and of course, Fox News. Most of all, she loved a good bargain, especially at Boscov's!Nothing was more important to her than her family and she truly enjoyed the weekly tradition of Sunday lunches. However her favorite tradition was making her Christmas cookies and giugiulena (traditional Sicilian sesame brittle treats) with her kids and grandkids to pass out during the holidays for friends and family to enjoy, but was her famous fudge brownies and cinnamon coffee cake that everyone looked forward to.In addition to her husband, Jimmy, Josie was predeceased by her brother, Jack DiMauro, and brother-in-law Frank Cooley.She leaves behind her son and daughter-in-law Michael Russo and Susan (Wright) Russo, her daughter and son-in-law Sandra Russo-Driska and Bruce Driska, her granddaughter Kimberly (Russo) Cefalu and her husband Giancarlo, and step-great-granddaughter Gabriella and the "light of her life" her great-grandson, Anthony Michael Cefalu, all of Middletown, CT. Her grandson Thomas James Hutton and his partner Mikayla Gardner of Manhattan, NYC, granddaughter Elizabeth Russo and her wife Anna Perkins of Davenport, Florida, granddaughter Meghan Hutton and her partner Alex Gajowiak of Middletown, CT, and step-granddaughter Leah (Driska) Lee and husband Michael Lee and step-great-granddaughter Charlotte of Honolulu, HI.She also leaves behind her sister-in-law Dolores (Gionfriddo) DiMauro of Cromwell, CT, sister-in-law Josephine (Russo) Cooley of Middletown, CT, and brother-in-law Charles Russo and his wife Terry Gedry of Clinton, CT as well as many nieces, nephews, great-nieces and nephews and one great-great-nephew.The family would like to extend our sincere gratitude to Dr. Maximillian Stahl and his team at Smilow Cancer Hospital for their months of care and compassion. Also, Dr. Kandavelou and the team at CT Oncology at Middlesex Health (especially Selene) and the amazing nursing staff at the Outpatient Infusion Center at Middlesex Hospital. You ladies were amazing, kind, and incredibly supportive through months of visits. We also thank MartPat Home Care Services, especially Kinga who became family, and Anetta and Patty for making her final days so comfortable. Lastly, we thank the amazing staff at Middlesex Health Comfort Care Unit. All of the nurses made her last few days incredibly comforting for her and our family and we so grateful.Calling hours will be held at D'Angelo Funeral Home in Middletown, CT on Friday, April 24, 2026 from 4-7 pm. A mass of Christian burial will be held at St. Sebastian's Church in Middletown, CT on Saturday, April 25, at 10 a.m. immediately followed by the burial at St. Sebastian's Cemetery in Middlefield, CTIn lieu of flowers, the family requests donations be sent to St. Jude's Children Hospital, a favorite charity of Josie's, or the St. Sebastian's Church Renovation Fund.

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