Josie died peacefully at home surrounded by her family. She leaves behind her loving husband Alon, her dear sons Aviv (Nadine) and Maayan (Oshri), her siblings Ester, Eddie, Nora, Lucy, Nanette, Lilli, Frankie, Nini, Tessie, and Doyie, her extended family, and her close friends Milan, Ofhel, Sonny, Sybil, and Victoria. She is predeceased by her parents Claudia and Juan and her brother Juanito.

Travel was a fixture at every stage of Josie's life. At 24, as a recent university graduate, she backpacked for 6 months throughout Europe, celebrating her 25th birthday at the Heineken brewery in Amsterdam. At 29, she took a year-long break from working as a teacher to live in Mexico and Guatemala, where she honed her skills in Spanish and met Alon. At 30, she spent a year at Kibbutz HaHotrim in northern Israel, where she became fluent in Hebrew and taught English. She imparted her love of travel to her sons, taking them to Mexico, Europe, the Philippines, Israel, and different parts of Canada. Upon her retirement, she travelled more extensively, spending up to four months out of the year abroad, often in Asia, Spain, or France. She liked connecting with people from all walks of life, trying different kinds of food, visiting museums and art galleries, and attending classical music concerts.

Don't let her travels give the impression that she was dissatisfied with her home city. At 19, Josie moved to Toronto from the Philippines and felt completely at home here for the remaining 47 years of her life. She would walk in different neighbourhoods to discover new places and tastes, even until the last months of her life, and navigated the streets of Toronto better than most cab drivers. As an English professor at George Brown College for almost 30 years, she enjoyed engaging in discussions with young people from diverse backgrounds and experiences.

Coming from a big family, Josie liked hosting friends and family at her home. She enjoyed being surrounded by beauty and filled her home with flowers and souvenirs from places she visited. Whether hosting a large holiday party with her signature punch, a delicious meal with close friends, or a barbecue in the garden, she always injected lively conversation and laughter. She particularly liked talking to younger members of her family and her sisters in Toronto.

She is sorely missed.

We would like to express our gratitude to everyone involved in her diagnosis and treatment, especially Dr. Hose, Dr. Hogen, Dr. Dhani, Dr. Mazzotta, and the compassionate staff at Princess Margaret Hospital, Toronto General Hospital, and the Temmy Latner Centre for Palliative Care. Donations to the Princess Margaret Hospital would be appreciated in memory of Josie.