Josie Uhlinger’s 80th birthday answer
to her party-planning daughter’s prayers

A portion of a quiet dead end village street was transformed into a festive setting complete with live musical entertainment on the evening of August 13 as family members helped friends find creative, social distancing ways to surprise Josie Uhlinger on her 80th birthday.

The first to arrive on the sidewalk facing the guest of honor’s home overlooking Kelley Park was masked pianist Cole Broderick (https://ballstonspaliving.com/seasons-of-the-soul-with-cole/) who set up his electronic keyboard and speakers to perform songs dear to the heart of his Italian-American neighbor.

Cole, whose pre-COVID performances took place before large audiences in such concert venues as The Egg in Albany, Music Haven in Schenectady and The Troy Music Hall, said it was an honor to play for the octogenarian he describes as “a beautiful, powerful soul who has brought much light and laughter into my life since we first met just over a decade ago.”

Among the melodies to float up to Josie’s ears as she listened through an open kitchen window, with party-planning daughter Diane at her side, were Funicula, Santa Lucia, That’s Amore, and, in the spirit of the village’s pandemic-themed Rainbow Hunt Somewhere Over the Rainbow.

Next came a stirring serenade by 16-year-old Aiden Irish (https://ballstonspaliving.com/junior-photographer-aiden-irish/) who offered a solo acapela performance of Alma del core, thoughtfully chosen because he knew Josie (nee Josephine DeCicco) had spoken only Italian before making her First Holy Communion shortly after World War Two.

The celebration concluded with a parade – or procession – of horn tooting motor vehicles carrying some of Josie’s long-time friends from St. Mary’s Roman Catholic Church in Ballston Spa. The members of the Our Lady Queen of Peace prayer group concluded their tribute to the 80th birthday gal by praying the Rosary together just before sunset.

Although the party was not what Diane, a seasoned nurse, had originally planned for her mother’s SMILEstone, she said it was definitely an answer to a prayer.

“I almost lost my Mom to cancer when I was a little girl, and never thought then that she would live to become a grandmother and a great-grandmother. My sisters Mary Beth (of South Carolina) and Cynthia (of Indiana) and I had lost our father in 2013 and had our hearts set on giving our Mom the biggest 80th birthday party ever. We were going to rent a large hall, the whole nine yards. But, of course, the pandemic put an end to those dreams.”

Celebrating her mother’s life had become even more important to Diane, a widow since 2016, after her son Jonathan passed away suddenly several months ago.

The response was overwhelming – so many cards arrived that Diane had to hide them in an enormous birthday bag before presenting them to her Mom one by one between breakfast and supper time on the 80th anniversary of her birth.

“Mom often says that God always answers our prayers – just not always in the way we asked Him to. This certainly ended up being one of those occasions,” beams Diane.

For her part, Josie reflects: “Sometimes it’s hard not to question God’s will, but as Christians we must trust that there are reasons why the tapestries of our lives unfold in ways we could not – or would not – have wished.”

This becomes all the more meaningful upon discovering that Josie’s own faith was tested to the limit when as a young mother, she was diagnosed with Stage 4 cancer and had to undergo a radical mastectomy that included not only the removal of a breast but all of the surrounding muscles and tissues.

“The resulting scar she describes as “disfiguring – more like an amputation really” was nothing compared to the prognosis that she had only a short time left to live. There I was just 30 years old with a wonderful, handsome young husband and three beautiful daughters aged 10, eight and five. I was told I had only six months,” remembers Josie. “It was tempting to have a Pity Party and I did, but I only allowed it to last a few hours. Sure I could have gone on and on about ‘Why me?” and ‘This isn’t fair’, but I knew deep down there would be no peace in my heart or until I could say ‘Why NOT me?” and ‘I don’t understand why this is happening to me now, but I will accept it as Your will and try to carry the cross that’s been placed on my shoulders with dignity and grace.”

In what her doctors would ultimately described as an unexplained healing bordering on the miraculous, Josie – who had refused to take strong painkillers or debilitating cobalt or chemotherapy treatments because she wanted “to be there” in every way for her young daughters right up until the end – was diagnosed as cancer-free.

But God was not finished with her yet in terms of giving her opportunities to glorify His name through her personal suffering for Josie would face numerous surgeries in the weeks, months and years to follow.

Despite more recent infirmities, Josie continues to participate from her home in outreach ministries that include a “Prayer Line” that offers comfort and hope far and wide.

While far too modest to toot her own horn, others at St. Mary’s are quick to sing Josie’s praises for the incredible contributions she has made to the parish since settling in Ballston Spa in 1978. By far the most monumental was her success in raising in excess of $60,000 to present to the Rev. Paul Bondi when he retired from his post as Pastor of St. Mary’s in 1996.

Some say the committee “wouldn’t have had a prayer without Josie.”

Of course, in reality, Heaven only knows.

EDITOR’S NOTE: Ballston Spa Living will soon be adding video clips of Aiden Irish singing “Alma del core” and pianist Cole Broderick performing other songs dear to Josie Uhlinger’s heart outside of her home on the occasion of her 80th birthday in August 2020. In the meantime, PLEASE CLICK HERE to read “Josie Uhlinger: Her prayer line is never too busy to take another call.”