Josephine Fernandez

Josephine (Bea) Pardo Fernandez of Tampa, FL passed away on March 25, 2020 at the age of 95. Born on February 14, 1925 to Margarita Martinez and Juan Pardo, she and her older brother, Oran, lived in Ybor City. Less than a year after she was born, her father died in a tragic accident. Her mother remarried Manuel Juncal of Vigo, Spain and gave Josephine five more brothers – Rene, Carlo (Charlie), Lorenzo (Chino), Antonio (Tony) and Camilo (Pal) and one sister, Isabel (China).

In 1941, she married Belarmino Fernandez and began a family of her own in Ybor City. After having five children - Margaret, Robert (Bob), Rose Mary (Rosie), Charles (Charlie) and Mercedes (Mimi) - she went back to school and earned her GED. She got a driver’s license and at a time when it was rare for a woman to work outside the home, she landed a job with the Hillsborough County School System working in the lunchroom at Orange Grove Elementary. Thirty-five years later, she retired having worked her way up to becoming a lunchroom manager.

She was a talented artist and excellent cook. She traveled through Europe, played an absurd amount of Bingo and had a deep love for baseball. Her door was always open, and there you would find her unique brand of hospitality - coffee, laughter and love. She was quick with a hug and a completely inappropriate joke. She had mischief in her eyes and no one was safe from her humor, to the embarrassment (and delight) of her family.

She is survived by her children Robert (Lorraine), Rosie (Robert), Charlie (Valerie) and Mimi (Terry) and her brother, Pal (Sue), along with ten grandchildren, 22 great grandchildren, a handful of great-great grandchildren and nieces and nephews too numerous to count. She was preceded in death by her parents and step-father, her husband, daughter Margaret and son-in-law Saturnino; her brothers Rene, Charlie, Chino, and Tony and sister, China. She lived through the depression, wars, numerous heartbreaks, change, growth and hope. And through her 95 years, she lived on her terms. In lieu of flowers memorial contribution may be made to your charity of choice. Services are Private.