Josephine Crocilla

April 18, 1925 - January 24, 2022

****PLEASE NOTE DUE TO THE WEATHER THE FUNERAL MASS WILL NOW BE MONDAY JANUARY 31, 2022 AT 10:30 AM AT ST. PATRICK RC CHURCH**** Josephine Crocilla, age 96, of 34 Gazebo Lane ,Smithtown NY was born on April 18, 1925 in the Brooklyn Borough of NY to Sicilian immigrant parents Antonino and Onofria LoCascio from Partinico Sicily. Joanne spent her childhood growing up in the Bushwick section of Brooklyn and was the third of nine children (7 girls and 2 boys). Joanne had to leave school in the 6th grade to help support her family. At 18 years of age Joanne went to work as a seamstress at a dress manufacturing company to hep support her family. The owner was so taken with her natural beauty that she was asked to model his clothing. One evening during her teenage years she had gone roller skating with a dear friend. Not being very good at rollerskating she had spent more time on the floor from falling than she did from rollerskating. There was a gentleman Joseph Crocilla whose heart went out to her and after watching her fall several times he would skate over to her to help her up and offer some tips on how to improve her skating. They fell in love and married shortly thereafter. They raised three children Linda (deceased), Eugene and Joseph. Joann was able to realize many of her dreams. One of her dreams was to always live in the Smithtown area of Long Island which was realized and was also her final address. Joann’s love and talent for cooking and bringing family and friends together was her greatest Joy. Friends and family would come from miles around to enjoy her Sicilian specialties like Arancina (Rice Balls) and her Spitini di Pollo Siciliana (Chicken Spitini) and home made Italian tomato gravy on Sunday. Her love and adoration for her family was always first and foremost especially for her Grandchildren who incidentally were all her favorite. Joanne was all about giving, helping others, and pure love. Her life’s message by the way she lived was that the only resource you could continue give away yet never run out of was LOVE. Joanne was predeceased by her parents, her husband Joseph, daughter Linda, her 6 sisters, Virginia, Vinceza (Vinnie), Cristina, Eva, Rosie, Margie, and her two brothers Salvatore (Sammy) and Joseph (Joey) and outlived all her siblings. The love she had for each and everyone of her siblings and the help and support she offered throughout their lives was a true testament to the core of her being. She was all about love. Joanne like her daughter Linda was a person of strong faith and felt that she was always truly blessed. Joanne was survived by her favorite son-in-law Gary (Barbara) two sons Eugene (Wen), Joseph (Olga) and grandchildren Gary (Jamie), Glen (Chrissy), Caitlin (Adam), Cori, Lee (Diana), Jesse, Christopher (Victoria), Natalya (Neil), Jane (Patric) and great grandchildren Kyle, Dean, Joshua (Amanda), Jordan, Grace, Scotty, Jada, Julian, Melania, Valentina, Drew, Alexandra, Kayla, Veronica, Gio and Kai. Joanne was a beloved aunt to countless nieces and nephews, great nieces and nephews, cousins, neighbors, and friends. Since Mom was always concerned about people going hungry and making sure that there was always enough food to eat, in light of flowers please consider a donation to save a starving child with the Nourish the Children Foundation. Below is the link to donate for the Nourish the Children foundation in memory of Josephine Crocilla: https://www.nuskin.com/content/nuskin/en_US/topnav-giving-back/nourish-the-children/donate.html