Josephine Anna Pawlowski

*Note on attire for events: Nonna liked bright colors. Please feel free to wear bright colors to the services on Friday and Saturday. Nonna's favorite color was yellow, so all shades of yellow are welcome! Ties are optional for Friday. While it is a formal service, dress is not formal.*
Josephine Pawlowski, age 76 of Canton Georgia, passed away on Sunday, June 22, 2025, due to heart complications. She is survived by her three sons; her son Todd Pawlowski and wife Shannon of Atlanta, Georgia; her son Brad Pawlowski and wife Renate of Jersey City, New Jersey; her son Jason Pawlowski and wife Kathy of Milton, Georgia. She is also survived by her sister, Dominica Helmick of Michigan; and her beloved grandkids Tyler, Ella, Katriane, Genevieve, Celeste and Seraphine. Her husband of 50 years, Douglas, passed away in 2021.
A Memorial Services will be held at 5:00PM Friday July 11, 2025, in the Chapel of Darby Funeral Home with visitation beginning at 3:00PM until the service hour. The service will also be live streamed at www.darbyfuneralhome.com. A Celebration of Life event will be held on Saturday, July 12, 2025, from 11:00AM to 3:00PM at Stratus Kitchen & Bar, located at 400 Laurel Canyon Parkway, Canton, GA 30114.
Josepine (or Josie, or Joey) grew up in Allen Park, Michigan, near Detroit. She was the youngest of five – with older sisters Dominica (Minnie), and Anna; and older brothers Frank and Angelo. Josephine was the consummate 'baby of the family' with her older brothers and sisters always on the lookout for her. That is why it was no small task that when she met her future husband, Doug, that he was able to not only win her over, but win over her older siblings as well. It was in Detroit, on a fateful evening of bowling as part of a Ford Motor Company league, that she met Doug. They married shortly thereafter in 1970 and bought their first house in Clawson, MI. They would go on to have their three children – Todd, Brad and Jason – and Josephine would take a leave from her work in insurance to focus on her family and raising the boys. Doug continued his full time work at Ford and teaching, while Josie stayed at home with the boys and took on the tall task of raising them. If it wasn't the shear volume of food that they consumed to keep her busy, their sparring and somewhat rambunctious nature always kept her on her toes. She taught the boys well as she constantly cooked various meals, mostly from her Italian upbringing, that the boys would later emulate as they all gained a passion for cooking as they became adults.
As the boys all played sports throughout high school in Farmington Hills, Michigan, the Pawlowski house became known for the home cooking and nourishment that Josie gladly provided. Whether it was impromptu visits from Todd, Brad or Jason's friends that turned into sit down meals, or the planned team dinners where Josie became famous for her meatball subs – family, food and friends were always a priority with Josie and the Pawlowski house. This of course extended to her and Doug's families as the holidays turned into days long food festivals that would make the average show on Food Network pale in comparison. While at the time, the boys were focused on just consuming all of the great food they were being fed, the joy of cooking food and being with family is something they would take with them as they grew up.
As the boys scattered across the country for college, this didn't stop Josephine and Doug from being a part of their lives and bring their food to where the boys were. As they all played football in college, Josephine would often bring food on hours long road trips so they could participate in tailgating with other parents of team members. It didn't matter that the games were in Evanston, Illinois or Princeton, New Jersey, they would find a way to get their 'beer brats' and other goodies to the games. They made many friends along the way and their love of family and support of their sons knew no boundaries.
In retirement, Doug and Josephine eventually moved to Canton, Georgia in 2014, joining the Soleil community, a move that brought them closer to their sons and grandchildren. In Soleil, Josie was seemingly part of every social group that existed. Winers and Diners, various card groups, attending various plays and concerts, and at some point becoming the 'Mahjong Queen' of Soleil. To her last days, the friends Josie made at Soleil were such dear friends – supporting her in all she did and keeping her busier than when she was raising the boys!
One of the things that made Josie happiest was being 'Nonna' to her grandkids. After raising three boys, she was thrilled to have five granddaughters. Of course this made Tyler her only, and favorite, grandson. She also learned that while raising three boys had its challenges, having many girls in one house, as was commonly the case for visits with Nonna, that brought its challenges too! She would often ask if 'things were always this loud??' as her grandkids always like to have fun and celebrate around their Nonna. She would shower them with treats and homemade food on any given visit – passing on the food and family traditions that her boys had growing up. Losing Doug in 2021 was tragic, and it required Josie to take on new challenges and responsibilities that were all new for her. It wasn't easy, but she took these on with the same zeal of her mother, ultimately thriving in her new reality. She got more deeply involved in her community, even helping to start a new club for other women in a similar situation as her. She also continued on as Nonna to her grandkids, making several trips with her boys in Atlanta and travel to New York as well. In 2023, she made the trip of a lifetime – two weeks in Italy with her boys and their families. It was the ultimate family trip in her home country – a lifelong goal, and she couldn't have been happier. She created so many memories for her grandkids. The often talked about, but never created 'Nonna meets world' was an apt description of her adventures with her kids and grandkids. Every trip was an adventure – with laughs along the way. Spring and summer trips; the annual thanksgiving trip to Hilton Head, trips to NY to see broadways shows – everything she did to be with her kids and grandkids – sharing laughs and joy throughout.
Josie cherished the company of others and formed lasting friendships throughout her life. She will be deeply missed by her family and all who had the privilege of knowing her. Her legacy-rooted in joy, family, food, and love-will live on through those she touched. Now reunited with Doug, she rests peacefully, embraced in eternal togetherness.
The Memorial Service will be live-streamed at: https://vimeo.com/event/5236627
In lieu of flowers or gifts, we ask that if you wish to give, please give to one of the charities below that Josie supported:
1) Donate to the American Heart Association - https://www.heart.org/en/why-give
2) Donate to Cancer research - https://donate.nfcr.org/a/main-donation
3) Donate to STEM education - https://donate.code.org/give/172233/#!/donation/checkout