Josephine Perez

Josephine Nila Perez passed peacefully in her home on Monday, March 23, 2020 with daughters Florence and Rosemarie by her side. She was 96 years old.

Josephine is survived by her five remaining children: David, Ronald, Florence, Edward and Rosemarie; daughters in law Kathy, Diane and Edith; Nine grandchildren: Richard, Melissa, Veronica, Olivia, Sandy, Danny, Michael, Kevin and Brian; and nineteen great-grandchildren. She is preceded by her husband Ray and eldest daughter Kathleen.

Josephine, known fondly by her grand and great grandchildren as Nana, loved her family very much, and enjoyed family gatherings. Possibly as much as she enjoyed watching the Los Angeles Dodgers play baseball.

Growing up in Chavez Ravine, before her love of Dodger baseball set in, she had a love of dancing. She and her sister Jesse spent their weekends dancing the night away in the clubs of Downtown Los Angeles. And it was this that led her to meet her late husband Ray. And as Ray and Josephine got older and started their family, they continued to dance. But, not in nightclubs. They danced in the living room of their home.

Those that knew Josephine well would describe her as hard working, a stern and dedicated mother, and a loving grandmother. She was a woman of few words, but she did not need many to get her point across. And if you asked for her opinion, you could be sure you would get the truth. She was also a faithful Catholic and prayed nightly for her family. When she was not watching baseball or reading the paper, she was reading a book or doing a word search.

In the days leading up to her passing, Josephine was visited by her children and grandchildren. They sat by her side and held her hand, told her stories, played her favorite music, talked, and laughed with one another.

If our legacy when we pass is the family we have left behind, Josephine’s legacy is that of love, loyalty, respect, and admiration.

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