Condolence From: Eulogy of Concetta Nestico
Condolence:
Good Morning, my name is Rosetta Conigliaro and I am one of Nonna Concetta’s grand-daughters. I am reading this Eulogy on behalf of her children – Elvira, Pasquale, Marziale and Maria.
Our mother was born on 5/15/1920 and died at 5:15 pm on June 21, 2016. Coincidence?? She was 96 years old, 1 month and 6 days.
Her granddaughter, Concettina and her son Pasquale were at her bedside. Her daughter, Elvira and her son, Marziale were with her all day. When they had left, she was relatively stable. Her daughter, Maria had left 2 days prior to return to her home in Virginia.
She had been blessed with 4 children (Elvira, Pasquale, Marziale and Maria), 14 beautiful grandchildren – Rosetta (Claudio) big Concetta (John), middle Concetta, little Concetta (Dave), Elio, Cristina (Joseph), Leo (Brittney), Saverio and Adriana) and 8 great-grandchildren (Antonio, Gianna, Giovanni, Luca, Dominic, Olivia, Christian and Anthony). She was also blessed with her sons and daughters-in-law: late Vincenzo, Anna, Maria and Junius. As you can see, she was blessed with tremendous amount of love. She was known as NANNA Concetta or NonnaCetta. She was blessed, to have in her hometown, incredible sisters (the late Assunta e Rosina), nieces and nephews and her sister-in-law, the late Valeria and husband Vincenzo, the late Marziale (Santa), Costantino, Tony (Lina), Maria (Gregorio), Lena (Joseph), Elvira (Jack) and all their children. As well as her niece, Caterina (Joseph) and their children. She loved all, as she also loved Maria, daughter of the late Isolina Carcidi, who routinely called our mother
I would like to share with you all of the different roles that our Mother played.
Our Mother was born to Maria Cristiano and Pasquale Calabretta in Isca sullo Ionio, a little town in Calabria, Italy. When she was probably a year old, her father, Pasquale, immigrated to the USA. She did not see him again for 46 years until she immigrated to Philadelphia in 1966. In one of the rare letters to his wife, he wrote "Quando ti trovi legato ad un albero, non si possono sciogliere (shio yle rey) queste catene" (When you are strapped around a tree it is not possible to break the chain). Her father Pasquale, though, never really forgot his 3 daughters (Assunta, Rosina, and our mother Concetta) because he sent money regularly throughout the years to them as well as, bought each one of them a home and pieces of land. All 4 of us children were fortunate to have met our Nonno Pasquale when we came to America.
The next stage of her life was when our mother and father (Aurelio Nestico who died at the age of 97) were married on August 12, 1939. Together, they had 5 children (Although the oldest child, Maria, died at birth). Our Mother was a homemaker and our father worked as a bricklayer. Our mother cooked, cleaned, took care of the 4 children and her husband - the FAMILY that is today. She worked hard, making home-made bread, cookies, sopressata, wine, tomato sauces, peppers, etc. Her recipe for her famous ricotta cookies was passed down to her children and grand-children, and til this day, no one can make them as good - believe me, everyone has tried. Who can forget the times when she would make homemade pizza on Friday and we would share a small bottle of beer together. Most importantly, she was devoted to her family, which was only surpassed by her devotion to God. Yes, to God, the blessed mother, San Marziale, Patron Saint of her hometown and to the Pope.
She prayed during her spare time. She prayed during her busy time. She prayed when she cooked. She probably prayed when she slept. When we would go and visit, she always had the Italian Mass on TV. And we would say, “Nonna, can we put something different on?! And as the loving grandmother she was, she would immediately change the channel - TO the Mass in English. She recited the Rosary several times a day. Open any drawer in her house and there would inevitably be a rosary. She believed in the Eternal Life. That is why we all believe, that, as we are here celebrating her eternal life, she is watching us from heaven.
As a grandmother, her passion was to knit and crochet: she made sweaters, center pieces, baby booties, and covers for the plastic pillows on the couch – who could forget sticking to her plastic couch on a hot summer day? Everyone would even get their own personal crochet toilet paper covers: you name it and she made them - for her children, grandchildren and great grandchildren. Some of her handy work even travelled overseas to her hometown and to her sisters, nieces and nephews who she dearly loved and they in turn loved and adored her. She always remembered every holiday and birthday – no birthday morning was complete without receiving a singing telegram from our dear Nonna – in Nonna’s rendition of Happy Birthday. She was a constant worrier about her children, whether it was Pasquale who was deployed to Germany for 6 months, Marziale driving on 95, Elvira taking the bus or walking to Nonna’s house and Maria driving to and from Virginia.
Her great grandchildren were blessed to have memories with her as well. They will always remember how NonnaCetta always had an endless supply of those little, red, dark, dove chocolates.
Our mother Concetta lived her life to the fullest. She represented the best wife, mother, grandmother, great grandmother, sister-in-law and aunt. Our Mother and Father were our 2 pillars in our family. She lived a religious, holy life here on earth and now in the eternal life. Thanks to all of you here today in sharing this day and paying tribute to our loving mother, grandmother and great-grandmother, Mamma e Nonna Concetta – Rest in Peace…
Monday June 27, 2016
