Our dear mother, Josephine Stehlin, passed away peacefully in her own home on June 22, 2025. She was 98 years old. Josephine is predeceased by her devoted husband Gerard; three sons, James, Gregory and Robert; along with her brother, Charlie.

She is survived by her daughter, Janice; and three sons, Timothy, Jerry and Charlie; and several grandchildren and great-grandchildren.

Josephine's greatest joy and accomplishment was the love of her husband Gerard, and her family. She was born in Pensacola, FL to the late Charles and Janet Harris Heil, in the last stage of her life she returned to live there with her youngest son, Timothy. After she raised her family on the south shore of Long Island, she and our dad, Gerard, retired to upper state New York in a small town called Blue Mountain Lake. Mom loved to watch the deer and black bear come to their apple tree and eat the apples, as well as all the other wildlife that moved about there and watching the birds eat from their many bird feeders. They lived there for 40 years until my dad passed away at the age of 95.

During the early years of their retirement, they enjoyed taking long road trips, long walks and snowshoeing in the winter. They played a bit of tennis at the local courts on their street, took bike rides in the neighborhood, and also went on many hiking excursions with their friends. They loved to travel, especially trips out west in their motor home. Our dad was a photographer and loved to capture the beautiful landscapes of the national parks. Mom always said that no matter how beautiful the different states were, there was nothing like returning home to the Adirondack Mountains. For many years, every September, they would drive their motor home to northern Maine where they would stay for six weeks at Cobscook Bay State Park on the Bay of Fundy. They would take their long walks and drives exploring the area enjoying the nature and beauty around them. Dad would love to go clamming and then make a big pot of clam chowder. One year, we spent a week with them camping at Cobbs Cook, it was so much fun to be with them in one of their happy places.

They faithfully made the six-hour drive back to Boxford, Massachusetts to spend time with me (Janice), my husband David, and their three granddaughters. Dad always loved to cook for us when they visited, making his two signature dishes; pepper steak stir-fry and beef stew. My mom always helped me take care of the kids, clean, cook, get a few games in, and babysit for me while I ran errands. They loved to play cards, their routine was cards before lunch and after dinner, their favorite games being Pinochle and Rummy. They also played with all of our aunts and uncles whenever they visited. While they had many friends in their community, Pat and Warren, retired school teachers, were two of their closest friends from Glens Falls. They would meet them for lunch whenever they did the 1.5 hour trip to do their big shopping spree in Glens Falls. Our dad was an avid reader and he would spend a good part of his day devouring books in his vast collection. He would take notes and write in journals about all the topics that interested him. Our mom was a person who had such a passion for life and was always up for an adventure. She got involved in many different groups such as the Red Hat Society, The Kazoo Band, Indian Lake writers' Group, the local book group, and the craft group at the community center and the Osteobuster Education and Exercise Group. She even got trained as an instructor and taught a weight class once a week. She took painting classes and painted many small watercolor scenes as well as pastels. She also took basket weaving classes and made the most beautiful baskets. While she was part of the Kazoo Band, she marched in many local parades in New York City, she had such a blast and so many laughs with her friends. The stories were hilarious. Mom also was an active hospice volunteer in her community for many years, having helped so many people through difficult times.

During the past six years of mom's life without our dad, she made a new life with my brother Timothy in Pensacola, FL. There she made many new friends at the local senior center where she enjoyed playing dice and hand and foot and bingo. She even hosted a luncheon at her home and invited her new friends. They were such a caring group and even visited mom at her home after she had a fall and was recovering. My brother would take my mom on long car rides to Fort Pickens along the coast every Sunday, she loved those scenic drives. A couple of years ago, my mom came back to the northeast and spent two months with us. We drove her back to New York to attend her son's funeral, while there she was able see all of her grandchildren and great-grandchildren one more time. She even met her seventh great-grandchild at just a few months old and got to hold him. Just recently she added two more great granddaughters to the list.

While staying with us in Maine, we took her for a picnic lunch at one of her favorite spots near my home, Reid State Park, on the ocean. I also took her to the Coastal Botanical Gardens twice and we rented an electric cart so she could drive it on her own. We had more laughs on those outings. I also took her for an overnight stay back to Cobscook State Park to spread some of my dad's ashes and revisit their favorite spots. It was an emotional and joyful visit. Recently, this past January, I spent the month with mom and my brother. I took her for long walks in her wheel chair to the local park and through the neighborhood. She even went back to the senior center one last time with me and took one more long drive to Fort Pickens. While I was there, a snow storm deposited 8 inches of snow in Pensacola. My mom got to see the snow one last time and reminisce about the anticipation of the first snowfall of the season in Blue Mountain Lake with my dad. Our Mom has expressed that she has had a full and rich life. She has missed my dad and many of her friends and family members who have passed away over the years. She also had so many wonderful memories to share about all of them.

She will be missed so much by all who were blessed to know her.