Josephine Rose Lagow
1941 - 2025
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Josephine Rose Milano Lagow
May 7, 1941 - September 25, 2025
Josephine "Jo" Rose Milano Lagow passed away peacefully today in McKinney, Texas, after valiantly enduring nearly 18 months with late-stage metastatic peritoneal ovarian cancer.
Born in St. Louis, Mo. in 1941, Josephine was the oldest of four daughters of Mary C. Milano (nee Mocca) and Paul S. Milano. As a young child, she lived on "The Hill", the nostalgic Italian neighborhood of St. Louis that is still known today for its home-style Italian cuisine and bakeries. Josephine spent her time there surrounded by countless extended family members, some who continued to fight off speaking the English language while insisting that the younger generation of the family could surely understand them in Italian!
By high school, Josephine's family moved to what at that time was the new "suburban" area of St. Louis, but they would not do this alone. They brought aunts, uncles, and cousins ...and built three houses themselves, one for each family, all in a row, on one street. They would share this tight residential family bond for decades.
It was here while attending Bayless High School that Josephine went snow sledding one afternoon on a first date with a young man in her class named Tom Lagow. And the rest was history. While Tom attended Mizzou, Jo attended Miss Hickey's School for Secretaries...it was as strict as the name sounds and required white gloves, and perfectly skilled performance. Following their graduations, they were married in St. Louis, MO on June 8, 1963.
It would be Josephine's secretarial position at Transworld Airlines, aka TWA, in St. Louis that would lead to Tom's first position following graduate school. She was informed of an opening in TWA's corporate office in New York City. Tom got the job, and they departed St. Louis to head to Manhattan. It was there that a lifetime full of their own experiences took root, and it was there that their only child, Christine, was born in 1969.
Thoughtful, meticulously conscientious, loyal, faithful, and most of all, a selflessly dedicated wife and mother, Jo never took for granted or overlooked how blessed she was, and how lucky she was to live and experience the next several decades in picturesque cities and towns that stretched from East Coast to West Coast. From the quaint storybook-like four season perfection of the Town of Darien in Connecticut to the stunning ocean and bay vistas of Pebble Beach and Carmel-By-The-Sea on the Monterey Peninsula of California... with stops in between in "Big D", the "Twin Cities", "Chicagoland", "The District" and the non-stop "sunny and 72-degree" Laguna Beach. Each stop was a steppingstone in life that seemed to also be blessed by the gift of a new friend, or a co-worker or a neighbor that would end up becoming a lifelong part of the family. On this cross-country journey of growth and appreciation, Josephine never lost sight though of her core - A Catholic, Sicilian, Midwesterner who was born and raised on The Hill.
Josephine was preceded in death by her mother, Mary C. Mocca Milano (d. 2001), her father, Paul S. Milano (d. 1970), her sister Paula Milano (d. 1952), and her sister Carol Ann Milano Buckman (d. 2022). She is survived by her husband, W. Thomas Lagow, daughter Christine M. Lagow, sister Catherine B. Milano Reinhold (Sylvester "Bud"), nieces and nephews: Scott Reinhold, Jonathan and Brooke Buckman, Jason and Karen Fischer, Douglas and Terri Fischer, Suzanne and Bill Clarkin, and great nieces and nephews: Michael Clarkin, Abigail Clarkin, Natalie Fischer, Mackenzie Fischer, Drew Clarkin, Alexandra Fischer, Elyse Fischer and Amelia Buckman.
Rest easily now, Jo...free from all pain and illness, and full of everlasting peace in the hands of The Lord.
A private family memorial will be held at a later date. In lieu of flowers, gifts in Josephine's memory may be made to:
Carmel Mission Basilica - Carmel, CA - "Worship, History, Education, Art, founded in 1771"
Carmelmission.org
Judevine Center for Autism - St. Louis, MO - "Making a real difference in the quality of life for children and adults with autism and their families".
Judevine.org
First Tee of Monterey County - CA - "Empowering local children through an innovative blend of golf and life skills education."
Firstteemontereycounty.org
May 7, 1941 - September 25, 2025
Josephine "Jo" Rose Milano Lagow passed away peacefully today in McKinney, Texas, after valiantly enduring nearly 18 months with late-stage metastatic peritoneal ovarian cancer.
Born in St. Louis, Mo. in 1941, Josephine was the oldest of four daughters of Mary C. Milano (nee Mocca) and Paul S. Milano. As a young child, she lived on "The Hill", the nostalgic Italian neighborhood of St. Louis that is still known today for its home-style Italian cuisine and bakeries. Josephine spent her time there surrounded by countless extended family members, some who continued to fight off speaking the English language while insisting that the younger generation of the family could surely understand them in Italian!
By high school, Josephine's family moved to what at that time was the new "suburban" area of St. Louis, but they would not do this alone. They brought aunts, uncles, and cousins ...and built three houses themselves, one for each family, all in a row, on one street. They would share this tight residential family bond for decades.
It was here while attending Bayless High School that Josephine went snow sledding one afternoon on a first date with a young man in her class named Tom Lagow. And the rest was history. While Tom attended Mizzou, Jo attended Miss Hickey's School for Secretaries...it was as strict as the name sounds and required white gloves, and perfectly skilled performance. Following their graduations, they were married in St. Louis, MO on June 8, 1963.
It would be Josephine's secretarial position at Transworld Airlines, aka TWA, in St. Louis that would lead to Tom's first position following graduate school. She was informed of an opening in TWA's corporate office in New York City. Tom got the job, and they departed St. Louis to head to Manhattan. It was there that a lifetime full of their own experiences took root, and it was there that their only child, Christine, was born in 1969.
Thoughtful, meticulously conscientious, loyal, faithful, and most of all, a selflessly dedicated wife and mother, Jo never took for granted or overlooked how blessed she was, and how lucky she was to live and experience the next several decades in picturesque cities and towns that stretched from East Coast to West Coast. From the quaint storybook-like four season perfection of the Town of Darien in Connecticut to the stunning ocean and bay vistas of Pebble Beach and Carmel-By-The-Sea on the Monterey Peninsula of California... with stops in between in "Big D", the "Twin Cities", "Chicagoland", "The District" and the non-stop "sunny and 72-degree" Laguna Beach. Each stop was a steppingstone in life that seemed to also be blessed by the gift of a new friend, or a co-worker or a neighbor that would end up becoming a lifelong part of the family. On this cross-country journey of growth and appreciation, Josephine never lost sight though of her core - A Catholic, Sicilian, Midwesterner who was born and raised on The Hill.
Josephine was preceded in death by her mother, Mary C. Mocca Milano (d. 2001), her father, Paul S. Milano (d. 1970), her sister Paula Milano (d. 1952), and her sister Carol Ann Milano Buckman (d. 2022). She is survived by her husband, W. Thomas Lagow, daughter Christine M. Lagow, sister Catherine B. Milano Reinhold (Sylvester "Bud"), nieces and nephews: Scott Reinhold, Jonathan and Brooke Buckman, Jason and Karen Fischer, Douglas and Terri Fischer, Suzanne and Bill Clarkin, and great nieces and nephews: Michael Clarkin, Abigail Clarkin, Natalie Fischer, Mackenzie Fischer, Drew Clarkin, Alexandra Fischer, Elyse Fischer and Amelia Buckman.
Rest easily now, Jo...free from all pain and illness, and full of everlasting peace in the hands of The Lord.
A private family memorial will be held at a later date. In lieu of flowers, gifts in Josephine's memory may be made to:
Carmel Mission Basilica - Carmel, CA - "Worship, History, Education, Art, founded in 1771"
Carmelmission.org
Judevine Center for Autism - St. Louis, MO - "Making a real difference in the quality of life for children and adults with autism and their families".
Judevine.org
First Tee of Monterey County - CA - "Empowering local children through an innovative blend of golf and life skills education."
Firstteemontereycounty.org
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