March 18, 1917 - Aug. 2, 2010SOUTH BEND - Josephine M. Bamber, 93, of South Bend, IN, passed away on August 2nd at 11:45 a.m. in her home surrounded by her family. Josie was born in South Bend on March 18th, 1917, to Peter and Elizabeth Papandria. She is survived by her children, Dennis (Ginny) of Cassopolis, MI, and Josephine "Sis" (Wib) Elliott of Granger, IN; as well as a daughter-in-law, Shirley Bamber Teefel of Hammond, IN. In addition to her children, Josie is survived by her brothers, Peter, Tony and George Papandria of South Bend; and her sister, Jennie Andrea of New York, NY. She is also survived by her grandchildren, Bridget (Andrew) Seng of Atlanta, GA, James (Cornelia) Elliott of Chicago, IL, Kate Elliott of Granger, Gary Hull of Jacksonville, FL, and Nicole Graham of South Bend, IN. She was also the proud great-grandmother to Jacob Bamber Elliott, Elliott Josephine Seng, McCabe James Seng, Isla Lee Elliott and Ashlyn Nicole Graham. She was preceded in death by her husband of 59 years, James Bamber, and two sons, James "Butch" Bamber and Patrick "P.J" Bamber. Also preceding her in death were her brothers, Sam and Rocco Papandria, and a sister, Anna Rhodes. On October 16th, 1937, Josie married her childhood sweetheart, Jim Bamber. Josie soon became a very successful woman in business, and she encouraged her husband, Jim, to purchase the Sunny Italy Café from her cousin, Tony & Rose Vumbaca, in 1939. With the onset of World War II, Jim held a critical job at the Studebaker Company while Josie ran Sunny Italy alone during the day until the end of the war. With Josie's passion and dedication in the kitchen, the Sunny Italy Café became one of the area's most popular restaurants, and it remains a tradition still today for many Notre Dame fans and alumni. Simply no one made homemade pies like Josie. She was a wonderful cook who took great pride in sharing her preparations of Italian food with family, friends and customers throughout her 60 years at Sunny Italy. In addition to running the restaurant and raising a family, she was also a member of the Pilot Club, which provided much enjoyment and allowed her to be more active within the community. In times of difficulty and of celebration, Josie would always be one to reach out to both family and friends. Josie's family went well beyond those immediate to her including her and Jim's many good friends. She was a role model not only to many of her peers but certainly to those fortunate to have grown up around her. Generous in love and spirit, Josie was a "second mother" to many, as well as her nieces, nephews and godchildren. She will be greatly missed by many. Visitation will take place in the Kaniewski Funeral Home, 3545 N. Bendix Drive, South Bend, IN, on Thursday, August 5, 2010, from 2 p.m. - 7 p.m. A Mass of Christian Burial will be held at 10 a.m. on Friday, August 6, in St. Joseph's Catholic Church on Hill Street in South Bend. Burial will follow at Highland Cemetery. Memorial contributions in her memory may be made to St. Joseph's Grade School, 226 N. Hill Street, South Bend, IN 46617. To send condolences, please visit www.kaniewski.com.