Josephine "Dody" Silecchia

On July 7, 2019 Josephine "Dody" Silecchia passed away in Palm
Desert, CA at the age of 91. She lived and loved fiercely, welcomed
everyone without judgment and preferred her breakfast toast burnt.
Dody was an incredibly loving, incredibly strong and incredibly whip-
smart woman. 
Born Josephine Giambalvo in Bushwick, Brooklyn on January 29, 1928
and raised in Ridgewood, NY where she embraced her Italian heritage.
Dody endured the challenges of The Depression and then found herself
enrolled at Fordham University, after graduating from Richmond Hill
High School in 1946.  After college and while working, she embarked
on a singing career as Dody Allyn, and got raves as a "comer" at the
Corn Crib Tavern on 79 th St. and the Pinto Lounge at the Bonfire
Restaurant.
While commuting on a train she met Vito Silecchia, which led to
marriage on April 11, 1959. In their hopes to have children, they
worked with the Italian consulate in New York to start the process to
adopt.  A few years later, She and Vito were blessed with two sisters,
Anna and Maria who came from an orphanage in Padua, Italy.  Soon
after, they moved from Long Island to Florida in 1968, and then made
their last move to Los Angeles in 1977.
Dody was hard working, and landed a job working for the tenacious
lawyer, Edward L. Masry as a legal secretary. She suffered a setback in
the 80's with a brain tumor, which she fought and beat and continued
with her legal career until she retired.
Dody and Vito enjoyed their retirement years in Palm Desert at Del
Webb Sun City, where they became pillars of the community.  
She will now be at peace with her late husband, Vito and daughter,
Anna, who succumbed to cancer in 2013.
  Josephine "Dody" Silecchia is survived and will be missed dearly by
her daughter, Maria Smith and her husband, Scott Smith, and
granddaughters, Elise Titone and her husband, Michael Titone, Sydny
Smith and Piper Smith.
 
A memorial service will be held at Forest Lawn Cemetery located in
Cathedral City, CA on July 27th starting at 11am.