On November 21, 2017 a remarkable woman, Josefina Encinas, passed away after 94 years of living a life that fulfilled what should be expected of anyone.

First of all, she was a wonderful wife and mother. When she bore a son with Down's Syndrome, she seemed to have devoted so much attention to him, taking him on walks that he loved. And when he contracted epilepsy, there was nothing that she would not do for him. Later on, when her husband lost use of his legs and had dementia, she was his caretaker even when she was in her seventies at the time.

She was also quite the citizen, giving so much time for others. She was involved in the Special Olympics, in the establishing of a school for special needs children, the Altar Society, CCD. If that were not enough, she oftentimes helped distribute Holy Communion to the homebound. With all the responsibilities that she had, she still found time to visit the sick or to go a nursing home to see if anybody needed company or errands.

Her piety was something to behold. Until the end of her life, her Catholicism was something she took most seriously. Every day, she attended Mass in the morning, and in the afternoon, she would make a visit to the chapel at St. Luke's to say the rosary.

Josefina was born in Agua Prieta on March 18, 1923. When she was quite young, she and her family moved to Douglas, where she attended Sarah Marley Elementary school, Douglas Junior High, and Douglas High School, from which she graduated in 1941. She aspired to attend college, but helping her family became paramount. She worked at Kress, Newberry's, and J. C. Penny's, until she met her husband in 1946.

She married Rafael Encinas on February 25, 1947 and remained married until he passed away on September 17, 2000. In the interim, bore four children: David, from Tucson; Martha (Walter) Dow, from Seal Beach, California; Danny (Tong), who lives in Fort Belvoir, Virginia; and Patrick, who passed away on October 19, 1984. Also surviving her is her sister, Elena, who lives in Tucson.

The Holy Rosary will be held at 10:00 on Wednesday, November 29, 2017 at Saint Luke's Church, with the Mass of the Resurrection being celebrated after the Rosary. Burial will follow at Julia Page Memorial Park. A reception will follow the internment.