Josephine Giusto

JOSEPHINE A. GIUSTO (nee Costanzo) age 99, beloved wife of the late Ben C.; loving mother of Blaise Giusto and Joanne T. Grundke (husband Russell R.); devoted grandmother of Christopher (wife Anita), Jennifer Pflaum (husband Bryan), Travis Grundke (wife Leah), Brent Grundke and great-grandmother of Benjamin, Nathan, Sadie, and Gabriel; cherished daughter of the late Gaetano and Josephine (nee Dinardo) Costanzo; dearest sister of Maryann Dykeman (husband Harold, deceased) and the late Theresa Lazzaro (husband Charles, deceased); dear aunt, great-aunt, and great-great-aunt of many.

In lieu of flowers contributions may be made in Josephine’s memory to Hiram House Camp 33775 Hiram Trail, Chagrin Falls, OH 44022.

Mass of Christian Burial Friday, August 12, 2016 at Gesu Catholic Church at 10 AM. Entombment following at Knollwood Mausoleum. Family will receive friends to pay tribute to and celebrate the life of Josephine at THE DeJOHN-FLYNN-MYLOTT FUNERAL HOME OF SOUTH EUCLID, 4600 MAYFIELD RD. (just east of Green Rd.) THURSDAY 4-8 PM.

Josephine Ann Giusto

July 14, 1917 –  August 7, 2016

 To some of us, she was “Aunt Josie.”  To others, she was “Cousin Josie.”  A few of us got to call her “Grandma.” 

And to lots of friends, she was simply known as “Mama G.”

But long before her 99^th birthday this year, Josephine Giusto was a mom to more than just her 2 children, Blaise and Joanne … she was a mom to all of us.  As long as she was around, we all knew our heritage was intact … and that all the other moms and dads, brothers and sisters, aunts and uncles, and cousins and friends that we had lost along the way … were still with us … in spirit.

Josie was more than a Matriarch … she was the center of our family.  She knew everything there was to know about each and every one of us — from when we were born, to when we took our first steps, when we graduated from school, and when we got married, had children and became grandparents.  She celebrated all of the good times with us … and when we were down, she was there to comfort us and help us heal.  Simply put, she was one of the most amazing and beloved people that most of us will ever know.

Outside of the family, too, Josie was an accomplished business woman and community activist.  For years, she managed a family-owned business, The Roundtable Restaurant, with more than 60 employees.  She served as President of the American Committee on Italian Migration and she was an active volunteer at The Church of the Gesu in University Heights where, in addition to being a member of the Ladies Guild and a Eucharistic Minister, administering Communion to the sick and elderly residents of several nursing homes, she also regularly delivered and served her famous pasta & cutlet dinners to the Gesu priests and rectory support staff.

She was a driving force in the community and especially with the Beachwood School System … so much so, that on her 90^th birthday, the Beachwood City Council and Mayor Merle Gordon officially proclaimed July 14^th as “Josephine Giusto Day” in Beachwood, Ohio.

Josie leaves behind a legacy of love and “footprints in the sand” that will never be forgotten. 

To paraphrase composer Stephen Schwartz’s  lyrics, “Because we knew you, we have all been changed … for good!”