Victor Nicoletti

Victor (Nick) Nicoletti of Hawthorne, NY passed away peacefully at 72 years old on August 12, 2023 while holding the hands of his wife and daughter--two of his four favorite girls. He wouldn't have wanted it any other way.

Nick is survived by his wife, best friend, and soulmate of 50 years, Bernadette, his daughter, Danielle (Kaley), his son-in-law, Thomas, and his granddaughters, Juliana and Gabriella. Nick jokingly went by many different names, but the one he cherished the most was "Papa."

Nick was born in Italy on April 3, 1951. He was blessed to be the only son of Gerardo and Paolina Nicoletti and was raised in a small town called Spigno Saturnia. After moving to Canada when he was 5 years old, the family finally came to America in 1959 where they settled on Arthur Avenue in the Bronx, NY. He attended St. Martin of Tours Elementary School and graduated from Theodore Roosevelt High School. After high school, Nick became a Meat Manager at Grand Union and went on to become a sanitation worker with the NYC Department of Sanitation, retiring as a supervisor in 2008. Shortly after retiring, he began working for the Town of Mount Pleasant's Meals on Wheels Program, bringing not only meals but smiles to the seniors he visited.

In 1973, Nick married his high school sweetheart, Bernadette, and they moved to a home in the Bronx. They gave their only child, Danielle, a beautiful childhood being raised in the Bronx and then later moving to Hawthorne, NY in 1989 to a house that would become his home for the rest of his life.

Nick's life was blessed with countless people who he loved and who loved him dearly. There is no better way to say it than he was the best.

He was adored by Bernadette, the couple just recently renewing their vows for their 50th anniversary. Their marriage was a true example of love, compassion, respect, and friendship. They were best friends-he lovingly would call Bernadette his "Pal of Mine." He protected her and gave her everything she could ever want from the moment they met to his very last day.

He was loved by his daughter beyond words. He was the best father, never missing a moment in his daughter's life when he wasn't proudly cheering her on (with a whistle that could be heard anywhere!) and always reminding her that she could accomplish anything. He was and always will be her first love and her forever hero.

Nick was the best father in-law to Tom, always so proud of the son he had gained. He was the best brother-in-law, uncle, and cousin. He was loved by his brother-in-law Frankie, his sister-in-law Marian, his nephew Michael, his niece Iris, his great-nieces Jessica and Alexis, Aunt Tina, and all of his cousins from Rockland and Pittsburgh.

Nick was the best kind of friend to hang out with and left an impression on the hearts of everyone he met. Whether it was being with his hunting buddies, walking the neighborhood with his dog, Romeo, or just hanging out with his friends and talking about some of his passions (his garden, the Mets, cars) or anything else going on in the world, he made you laugh and want to be with him. He would do anything to help his friends before they even had to ask.

But of all these things, Nick was the best Papa. The greatest loves of his life were his two granddaughters, Juliana and Gabriella. They completed his life and brought him more joy than anything in this world ever could. Papa never missed an award ceremony, a dance recital, or a chorus concert. He stood in line for school pick-ups and drop-offs, on the sidelines of games, and sat in the lobby of dance school waiting for class to be over. He carved pumpkins, made snowmen and igloos, and went down inflatable slides the wrong way just to break the rules and make us laugh. Papa always seemed to "save the day" whenever they needed him. Although they didn't have him long enough, the extraordinary gift they were given of having a Papa like him was worth even just a day together.

When talking about the recent billion-dollar lottery, one of his buddies commented on how awesome it would be to win the lotto. Without hesitation, Nick answered, "What do I need that for? I already have everything I could ever want."

In lieu of flowers, donations can be made in Nick's name to St. Jude's Children Hospital or Ronald McDonald House in Valhalla, NY.