Virginia Maria Verrecchia, 75, of Ocean City, NJ entered into eternal life on Oct.9, 2021.
She was born and raised in Philadelphia, PA and attended Holy Child Elementary School (1960) and Little Flower HS (1964). Virginia entered the Sisters of St Joseph in 1964 and received the religious habit and name, Sr. James Joseph. As a religious Sister, she served many parish communities in Phila/South Jersey and North Carolina, teaching First Grade and Coaching CYO basketball teams, and she graduated from Chestnut Hill College in 1973. In 1975, she left the Sisters of St Joseph on a Friday and started working Monday morning at the PA Dept of Labor, processing unemployment claims. Although she had left the Convent, her faith remained strong throughout her entire life. She found great joy encouraging others to rediscover their faith and in her commitment to teaching kids.
Virginia followed a dream to live at the shore and found a niche in Real Estate, becoming an Agent and a Broker. In 1988, she became a Co-Owner (and later sole Owner) of A La Mode Ice Cream Parlor in Ocean City. Just 3 years later, she founded J&J’s Pizza Plus, also on 55th Street in Ocean City. Her stores brought her much happiness and allowed her talents to shine, especially in mentoring her staff and teaching invaluable life lessons to young people.
Virginia is preceded in death by her parents, Josephine and James Verrecchia. She is survived by her sister, Angela, and her brother, Jim (Jaime) and his wife Nancy and their family. Funeral arrangements and Burial were held in Pennsylvania on October 19,2021 in Flourtown, PA. Family, Friends, Neighbors, and Business Associates are invited to attend a Memorial Mass to celebrate Virginia’s life on Thursday, November 4, 2021 at 11 am, St. Maximilian Kolbe Church, 200 Tuckahoe Rd, Marmora, NJ.