MERIDEN - Josephine Scalise Caffrey, aged 87, died peacefully on Wednesday, Nov. 16, 2016 at MidState Medical Center in Meriden after a long struggle with dementia. Josephine was born on Sept. 17, 1929, in Meriden, Conn., the daughter of Italian immigrants Peter Scalise and Rosina Scalise.Josephine thoroughly enjoyed art, food, music, and fashion. She graduated from Meriden High School in 1947 and worked for several years at the International Silver Company, where she met the love of her life, her husband of 60 years, George Caffrey. After raising her family, she went back to work at Undercliff State Hospital in Meriden before moving on to Cedarcrest Hospital in Newington. She worked there for 30 years, retiring at age 70 as the director of medical records.Josephine was a big believer in education and was so proud to complete her Bachelor of Science degree at Middlesex Community College, and was working on her Master's Degree at Southern Connecticut State University before falling ill with dementia. She was a parishioner of Mount Carmel Church, where she sang in the choir.Josephine's husband, George Caffrey, retired Meriden Police Chief, passed away two days following her death. She is survived by her son, John Caffrey, of Meriden Conn., and daughter, Jessica O'Neal (Glenn), of Arlington, Va.; eight grandchildren and two great-grandchildren; sisters, Mary Bernetti (Dominic), and Caroline DeFrancesco; sister-in-law, Henrietta Scalise; and a number of other relatives and close friends.She was preceded in death by her sons, Timothy and Kevin Caffrey; and her brothers, Nicholas and Joseph Scalise.The funeral will be held on Tuesday, Nov. 22, at 9:15 am from the John J. Ferry & Sons Funeral Home, 88 E. Main St., Meriden, and at 10 a.m. at Mount Carmel Church for a Mass of Christian burial. Burial will be in Sacred Heart Cemetery. Friends may call at the funeral home on Monday, Nov. 21 from 4 to 7 p.m. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to The Alzheimer's Foundation of America, 322 Eighth Ave., 7th Floor, New York, NY 10001. For online condolences, please visit www.jferryfh.com.