Obituary of Josephine V. Hanes
Josephine V. (Stachowicz) Hanes, 97, passed away on Friday May 15, 2020 at Penn Medicine Princeton Medical Center in Plainsboro. Josephine was born and raised in Wilkes-Barre, PA. She forever treasured her rural farm upbringing and large family. She came to New Jersey and settled in Elizabeth where she lived for 2 years meeting the love of her life, Perry. She then moved to Linden and later Cranford where she lived for 20 years before moving to Hillsborough in 1962, and finally to Rossmoor, Monroe Twp. in 1986. There, she met and traveled the world with her second husband Louis Hanes. Her last years were spent in Monroe Village with her amazing aides and best friends Gina and more recently, Theresa. During her career, Josephine was an administrative assistant/secretary, working for several employers including Exxon Biomedical Sciences, Inc. in East Millstone where she worked for 33 years before her retirement in 1986. She was a member of the Rossmoor Emerald Society and a parishioner of Nativity of Our Lord RC Church in Monroe Twp.
Josephine had an amazing emotional and physical strength that made an impact on all those around her. She lived by the fact that you could only accept things or change them, and there was no 3rd option. She was happy and making jokes until the very end even after going through so much loss in her later years. She cared genuinely about her family and those around her. She had a classic elegance and loved hosting/cooking for family gatherings and dinner parties.
Josephine was preceded in death by her first husband, Perry J. Vacha (1982), her second husband, Louis Hanes (2006), three sons: Kenneth Vacha, Perry Vacha and Christopher Vacha, one brother, one half-brother, and 9 sisters.
She is survived by her daughters in law: Carol Vacha of Phillipsburg, JeriLynn Vacha of Hamilton Park, and Pamela Vacha of Allen Park, MI, six grandchildren (Adam, Jason, Jeff, Matthew, Ryan, and Tara), and many great grandchildren, nieces, and nephews.
Out of respect and concern for public health and safety, funeral services are private and are being held at the convenience of the family under the direction of the M. David DeMarco Funeral Home, Inc. www.demarcofuneralhome.com.
For those who are interested, memorial contributions may be made to the American Diabetes Association - www.diabetes.org.
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