GRAFTON: Josephine Adele (Dauginikas) Stockwell, 103, of Grafton, MA, passed away peacefully on April 24. 2020 in Westborough, MA. Born in Worcester in 1917, daughter of Annie H. (Gaidis) Dauginikas and Ignas T. Dauginikas. She attended Worcester Public Schools and the former Commerce High School. She was predeceased by her husband of 43 years, Kenneth Franklin Stockwell in 1989 and her son, Wayne Henry Stockwell in 1966. She happily resided in the home she and Ken built until she was 100 years of age.
Josephine, or “Aunt Jo” as she was affectionately called by her family was also predeceased by her brother, Tom Dauginikas of Shrewsbury; her sisters, Anne Dauginikas of Shrewsbury; Mary (Dauginikas) Wilson of Grafton; Nellie (Dauginikas) Antonucci of Shrewsbury, and Helen (Dauginikas) Foisy of Worcester. She is survived by her niece, Sister Mary Ruth Dauginikas of Our Lady of Sorrows Convent in Brockton, MA and many beloved nieces and nephews and their families.
Josephine worked, supporting the war effort during WW II, at Worcester Knitting as a seamstress. She also wrote articles about canning and cooking for the Worcester Telegram and Gazette. When Grafton Public schools introduced a hot lunch program, Josephine enjoyed working in this new position. She was also a Girl Scout, Cub Scout and 4H Leader. She was a house mother for many local families for years. Josephine was a skilled quilter and often gifted quilts and potholders. She knitted hundreds of hats and blankets for newborn babies at Saint Vincent Hospital in Worcester, for which she received numerous awards. She hosted many Tufts University students at her home, over the years. She was an avid birdwatcher and always made sure they were well fed over the winters. Josephine was an active member of Saint Philips in Grafton.
Josephine and Ken loved to travel internationally before it was common. They visited Iceland, Luxembourg, England, Mexico and Canada. They also travelled extensively throughout the U.S. Josephine loved sharing stories and photos of their travels.
Aunt Jo enjoyed lending a helping hand whenever needed – whether giving someone a ride, offering sound council or simply a sympathetic ear over a cup of coffee. She always seemed to have time for everyone, and her lively conversational skills will be sorely missed.
Josephine’s family and friends would like to thank the many personal caregivers and the staff at Beaumont Rehabilitation and Skilled Nursing Center at The Willows in Westborough for their loving care.