Syracuse's Josephine Lovette Celebrates 101 at Onondaga Center

by Jeff Jacomowitz

On February 28th, Josephine Lovette celebrated her 101st birthday at Onondaga Center in Minoa with 15 to 20 members of her family including her grandchildren, nieces and nephews, plus staff and fellow residents. Although she was born in Italy in 1917, she moved to the Bronx at five years old and two years later, her family relocated to the tranquil setting in central New York. Being a resident for over 90 years, it's no surprise that Josephine considers Syracuse her home.

Josephine has only been at Onondaga Center since last August, but in the six months that she's been a resident at the center, she quickly made her presence known by her incredible sense of humor.

"Everyone just adores Josephine," said Amy Gannon, Recreation Director at Onondaga Center. "Her sense of humor is her trademark and she's such an amazing social butterfly."

Josephine Lovette was born in 1917 in Mendicino, which is in the province of Cosenza, in southwest Italy. The oldest of three sisters, her father was a shoemaker in downtown Syracuse and her mother a homemaker. Josephine married Nicholas Pavente and they had one son Nicholas Jr., who has since passed. Although their marriage ended in divorce, they were good parents to Nicholas Jr. Josephine married again, but it wasn’t until she met Raymond Lovette, her third husband, that she was truly happy.

On South Salina Street, Josephine loved worked for Sears and Roebuck and she did so for 35 years, holding different job titles while being employed. She started out as a sales clerk and then became a buyer for the women’s department. Josephine would travel to New York City to learn about the new fashions and then buy for Sears to sell in the Syracuse store. It was at the store, where she fell in with Raymond, the store's security guard, and eventually became the love of her life.

"Most of the ladies who Josephine worked with thought he was handsome and they tried to get dates with him, but he only had eyes for her," said Elaine Discenza, one of Josephine's nieces. "At first she was not interested so she played hard to get."

Niece Elaine Discenza with her Aunt Josephine

Josephine and Raymond got married in 1977 and stayed married for 40 years until Raymond passed in 2017.

In addition to having a great sense of humor, Josephine’s interests include swimming, going to the beach, playing poker and gin rummy, and listening to the music of Jerry Vale, Engelbert Humperdinck, Dean Martin and Frank Sinatra. She loves her family and was a very active member in the Humane Society, a membership she holds to her heart. Josephine continues to dress for success and enjoys the pampering of having her nails and hair done weekly at Onondaga Center.

When asked what her secret is to her longevity, Josephine says, "I have always preferred to eat healthy and I don't eat a lot of red meat. "I never smoked or drank, so I think this is why I have lived for such a long time."