Josephine Mary Durbin's Obituary
Josephine passed away on Wednesday, November 8th, 2017 at 3:30 am
of natural causes, three months after her 94th birthday.
Born in Camden, New Jersey to a family of six girls and two boys.
Josephine lived her early years in Quincy, Massachusetts and loved going to the beach at Houghs Neck with her sisters and friends. She played violin in Quincy High School Orchestra and was member of the Knitting Club.
During the Great Depression of the 1930’s she traveled on a Trans-Oceanic crossing aboard a Air Transport Command Aircraft to Germany and found work with the Defense Department. Josephine met her husband Army Master Sargent Harvey there. She was married in a beautiful ceremony in Stuttgart in 1949. They then lived a storybook life for a few years in France before returning to the United States to have her first born in Texas. Josephine would have two more children.
The family then moved to California where the children grew up in the Venice, Santa Monica and Playa Del Rey area. Eventually moving to San Diego in 1975 and settling first in Fallbrook later Valley Center. Josephine and
Harvey built their 3rd house on a avocado ranch and she had fun decorating it in a Spanish style acquiring materials and pieces from Mexico. There she started oil painting and created some fabulous portraits and outdoor scenes.
She then decided to start working again and found a great job as a Court Reporter for the Marine Corps on Camp Pendleton where she worked for 15 years, retiring in 1989.
Josephine enjoyed doing all kinds of fun things with her five grandchildren and watched them grow and achieve.
When Harvey took ill and passed away leaving her alone, her older sister Gertrude moved in from Inglewood. Josephine loved driving her champagne colored Mercedes as the two would shop all day.
She was a long time member of St. Stephens parish and volunteered at the thrift shop. Josephine is survived by her two sons James and Robert.
What’s your fondest memory of Josephine?
What’s a lesson you learned from Josephine?
Share a story where Josephine's kindness touched your heart.
Describe a day with Josephine you’ll never forget.
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