Josephine Z. (Zajicek) Capossela

Josephine Capossela, a lifelong resident of Sleepy Hollow passed away at Phelps Memorial Hospital just before midnight on New Year’s Eve. She was 94 years old and had been staying at Skyview Rehabilitation and Health Care in Croton since May 2010, following a stroke.

Her parents Rose Holicky Zajicek and Louis Zajicek, who predeceased her many years ago, emigrated to this country around 1912 from what was then Austria-Hungary and later became Czechoslovakia. She was also predeceased by a brother Louis and a sister Joan. Her husband Carmen, was also a lifelong resident of Sleepy Hollow and a 68 year active firefighter, as well as her daughter Carolee both died in October of 2002. She is survived by her son James of Ossining as well as many nieces, nephews, grand nieces, and grand nephews,

Josephine was an accomplished painter who once received a blue ribbon for her oil, “Collies” at “Art in the Park” which had been held in Patriots Park in Tarrytown. She had her own one person art show in the Warner Library in 2007. She was an active member for over 10 years at the Senior Art Class at Tarrytown’s Neighborhood House. She loved flowers which served as the subject for many of her oils, acrylics, and watercolors. She was active for a short time in the Tarrytown Seniors and active for many years in the Sleepy Hollow Seniors. She attended business school and worked for several years before dedicating herself to raising her two children. Her daughter Carolee was an advertising executive and well known copywriter who wrote the lyrics to many well known jingles.

In lieu of funeral services, she requested that a donation be made to the St. Jude Children’s Research Fund which was a charity that was very dear to her. In lieu of flowers a donation may be made to St. Jude at 262 Danny Thomas Place, Memphis, TN 38105.

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