101-Year-Old Made Her Mark At Camden County Prosecutor's Office

CAMDEN, NJ — Josephine de Sousa worked behind the scenes for nearly 40 years at the Camden County Prosecutor's Office, until age 89. And at 101 years old, she remains sharp and passionate about her former job.

Working in law enforcement can be a grind, even away from the crime scenes. But the centenarian is still going strong. She lives independently in her Cherry Hill home. She frequently visits family in Maryland. And every so often, de Sousa will tell her Amazon Alexa to play "All My Exes Live In Texas" as she dances with the walker she calls her "buddy."

"I don’t want anyone tying my shoes or dressing me up or bathing me," she said Monday, visiting the prosecutor's office as the agency recognized her 101st birthday, which occurred March 20. "I’m determined."

De Sousa began working for the office in 1973, having previously worked for the Cherry Hill Municipal Court. She began as a clerical staffer. Six months later, she started working as an administrative assistant for Thomas Shusted — the county's first full-time prosecutor.

Once she reached her post at the prosecutor's office, she never wanted another job. De Sousa said her colleagues made it "the best place to work."

Much has changed since de Sousa retired in 2011. She couldn't remember the last time she visited the agency, but it was definitely before the CCPO upgraded its digs about five years ago and moved into the Governor James J. Florio Center for Public Service on Camden's Federal Street.

"This building is tremendous," de Sousa said, sitting at a conference table in the modernized building, "such a far cry from City Hall and the Parkade Building and the telephone building."

A few of de Sousa's former colleagues still work for the agency. Some of their top memories involve her cooking and baking, including pizza, Easter bread and about 20 different types of cookies.

De Sousa had a hard time even picking out top memories from her 38 years with the CCPO. But she did recall her photo appearing in newsprint as she counted money confiscated from a narcotics bust.

And outside of work, she traveled the world with her husband, Edgar, who designed men's clothing and attended conventions throughout.

In January 2011, at age 89, de Sousa opted to retire. Her profession faced cutbacks, so she didn't want to take a position from someone else. Edgar died two months later, at 92, so de Sousa felt it was "God's will" for her to step aside when she did.

But 12 years after working for the CCPO, de Sousa remains lively. And she shared her wisdom on how she's done so.

"Keep active, keep clear of mind and forgive," she said. "Don’t hold grudges. It’s no good for your health."