Cecelia

Joseph

Obituary

The Life, The Love, The Legacy of

Cecelia T. Joseph

January 30th, 1934 ~ May 27th,2018

C ecelia Theresa Cheek was born on January 30th, 1934 to Catherine and Blaze Cheek in Washington D.C. at Freemans Hospital. Catherine and Blaze had five children, one boy and four girls. Cecelia was the youngest of the siblings, Francis, Josephine, Mary, and Joseph (Chico).

Cecelia moved with her family to New York at an early age. She attended Stitt Jr. High School in Manhattan, New York. and received her formal education as a graduate of George Washington High School in (1958) Manhattan, New York.

During her high school years, she was known to have a beautiful voice, so much so that she was offered an opportunity to sing as a back-up singer for Sara Vaughn.

She was employed as an operating supervisor for Bell Telephone Company and section supervisor at Woolworths Department Store in Manhattan, New York.

At the age of thirteen Cecelia met Lawrence in New York on the block which became the start of their seventy-one-year romance together.  After being inseparable for almost fifteen years Cecelia and Lawrence got married on August 22nd, 1959.

She has been the loving wife of Lawrence Joseph for fifty-nine glorious years, the devoted mother of Ernest and Carla Joseph and doting grandmother of Gabriel Browne.

She was a resident of Englewood, New Jersey for over twenty-five

years. Cecelia developed a lifelong love for tennis. She was a member of the board for the Harlem Jr. Tennis & Education Program (H.J.T.E.P.). She competed in many U.S.T.A. (Unites States Tennis Association) and A.T.A. (American Tennis Association) tournaments in both New York and New Jersey. For thirty plus years she won numerous awards and trophies as a participant in tennis tournaments. She was an avid gardener, an accomplished knitter and seamstress.  She was also a skilled doll maker. She loved to watch the U.S. opens and all the courtroom judge shows on television while knitting. She adored her dog lady. She enjoyed the numerous and countless trips to Empire City. She played scratch offs and lottery games, often a prized winner. Her most memorable moments where with her family. Her granddaughter Gabriel's birth, graduation ceremonies, winning tennis doubles tournaments, trips to the U.S. opens, Empire City, and all the unforgettable trips to Miami, New Orleans, Upstate New York, Chicago, Puerto Rico, San Francisco and Montreal Canada to name a few.

She was a loving wife, a devoted mother and grandmother, an exceptional aunt, a confidant and loyal friend.

Cecelia leaves to cherish her memories her loving husband, children, grandchild, her dog (Lady), many nieces and nephews, and a host of family and friends.

Cecelia Joseph departed this life on Sunday May 27th, 2018. She was preceded in death by her parents and siblings.