Josie Sanctis Obituary, Death – She did not focus on bettering herself but rather would sacrifice all for the sake of the happiness of others. Her presence was commanding, but the manner in which she interacted with everyone she met was compassionate and graceful. Sadly, on December 5th, 2022, 38-year-old Josie Lynn Sanctis lost her heroic battle with osteosarcoma to the rare side effect of acute myeloid leukemia. This condition was caused by the chemotherapy that she received during her fight. Her parents, Dean White and Lynn Norris, welcomed her into the world on July 11th, 1984, in Greensboro, North Carolina.
Josie received her Bachelor of Science degree in biology from Appalachian State University, where she also completed a minor in the study of chemistry. On October 23, 2010, she wed the man who would become the love of her life, Andrew Sanctis. Josie was well-known for her unwavering faith, her devotion to her family, and her willingness to put others before herself. She was fighting cancer when she turned to Jesus and the saints who were most important to her—St. Therese Lisieux, St. Benedict, The Blessed Mother Mary, St. Rose, and St. Gianna Beretta Molla—to take strength from the midst of her suffering. Her life was a magnificent example of the Christian faith. Even when Josie was in the worst of her illness, she made it a point to put her religion first by going to church every Sunday with her family in the front row.
Josie was a woman of great confidence and accomplishment; she was stellar in her professional career, an excellent tennis player, and someone who did not settle for mediocrity but rather strived for excellence. That faith served as a foundation for integrity and intention in everything Josie accomplished, and Josie was a woman of great confidence and accomplishment. She possessed the highest level of competitive drive, and she was constantly ready to take on a new task. Despite everything that she had to bear, Josie was able to maintain her ability to perceive the humor and beauty in life. She avoided superficial small talk in favor of more in-depth, thought-provoking conversations because she yearned for true friendships. She was a wonderful mother and wife, and she prioritized those roles in her life above all others.
Amelia, Joanna, Thomas, and Joseph were Josie’s greatest sources of pride and delight. It was because of them that she decided to serve on the board of directors of MiraVia, which is a safe haven and a source of hope for young unwed women who become pregnant and their children. In addition to being a working mother, Josie joined with the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society in 2018. Through this partnership, she was able to contribute over $50,000 to the society’s efforts to find a cure for leukemia and lymphoma, the diseases that ultimately took her life. In addition, she was awarded the title of Mrs. North Carolina in 2013, which she did in order to bring attention to the condition of trichotillomania.
After that, she went on to serve as a board member for the TLC Foundation for BFRB’s for a period of five years. At the Christian summer camp known as Lurecrest, she was a counselor there for several years. She showed an unwavering commitment to both the Saint Gabriel’s Church and the community of her school, where she most recently served on the Spiritual Growth Committee. Josie felt a genuine called from God to be of service to others and care for them, and she answered this call with joy and grace. Josie will be deeply missed, but the knowledge that her passing should not be interpreted as her absence from this world but rather as her presence in Heaven is a source of consolation and brings some measure of peace.