Zaba Collodel Koskie passed away at home in Delray Beach, Florida on June 18, 2017 after a long illness. She was born in Totowa Borough, New Jersey on March 17, 1926 and although she wasn't Irish, she loved sharing her birthday with St. Patrick. Zaba was the middle daughter of Italian immigrants Giuseppe and Rachele D'Olif Collodel. She attended local Paterson schools and served as an air raid warden during World War II.

In 1946 she married the love of her life, William Koskie. Shortly afterward they moved to Florida and started their family. Zaba was employed at a variety of companies and organizations including Southern Bell, Florida Atlantic University, the Palm Beach County Health Department and Rainberry Marketing. For many years she was the school secretary and part time teacher at St. Vincent Ferrer School in Delray Beach. She and her husband, Bill, were among the first members of St. Vincent Ferrer's parish and they both were active in the church and school.

Zaba was also a very talented seamstress and upholsterer and she shared these gifts with others.

She was a wonderful wife and mother. She was friendly, kind and gentle and a friend to everyone whose lives were touched by her.

Zaba was preceded in death by her husband Bill in 2014 and three of her sisters, Jenny Osland, Pearl Maguire and Violet Moesch.
She is survived by her daughter, Barbara Koskie of Delray Beach and sister Delphina (George) Cannon, of Virginia Beach, Virginia and her nephews and nieces.

There is comfort in knowing that she left this earth on Father's Day and was able to give her beloved Bill the best Father's Day he ever had. They are together in Heaven.

Zaba is greatly missed by all of us who know and love her because to know Zaba truly is to love her.

A funeral mass will be held at St. Vincent Ferrer Catholic Church, 840 George Bush Blvd., Delray Beach, at 11:00am on Thursday, June 22, 2017. Burial will follow at the South Florida National Cemetery at 1:15pm in Lane #3.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made in her memory to: St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, 501 St. Jude Place, Memphis, TN 38105. To donate online, please click here.