Nicola T. DiRisio

NICOLA THOMAS DIRISIO, AGE 97, MADE HIS HEAVENLY ETERNAL JOURNEY ON AUG 4th, 2019 AT PACIFICA ASSISTED CARE IN LAS VEGAS, NV. HE WAS A 6 YEAR RESIDENT OF BISHOP, CA FROM 2011-2017. NICK, AS HE WAS KNOWN BY HIS FAMILY AND FRIENDS, WAS BORN IN FAIRPORT, NEW YORK ON JULY 28TH, 1922 TO PARENTS FREDERICO AND MARIA DIRISIO. HE PROUDLY SERVED IN THE U.S. ARMY IN WWII. HE WAS INVOLVED IN THE NORTH AFRICAN CAMPAIGN AS WELL AS THE SICILIAN CAMPAIGN UNDER THE COMMAND OF GENERAL MARK CLARK. IN THE LATE 40’S, AFTER HIS MILITARY CAREER, NICK MOVED WEST AND SETTLED IN SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA. HE WORKED FOR NORTHROP/GRUMMAN CORPORATION FOR 32 YEARS AS WELL AS INTERSTATE ELECTRONICS CORPORATION FOR 10 YEARS AS A MAINTAINABILITY SPECIALIST IN THE ELECTRO-MECHANICAL ENGINEERING DIVISION. NICK MET THE LOVE OF HIS LIFE, JEAN ELIZABETH GRANDE, AND THEY WERE MARRIED ON NOVEMBER 9, 1957. SOON AFTER, THEY BEGAN RAISING THE 1ST OF 4 CHILDREN. IT WAS DURING THE LATE 40’S THAT NICK DISCOVERED THE BEAUTIFUL HIGH SIERRA MOUNTAINS. STORIES OF BACKPACKING AND CAMPING WITH FRIENDS AND “WAR BUDDIES” AROUND THE AREA OF ROCK CREEK WERE PLENTIFUL. THESE EXPERIENCES LED TO HIS FOREVER LOVE AFFAIR OF THE HIGH SIERRA MOUNTAINS AND FROM THAT POINT NICK WAS HOOKED. AND SO HIS LOVE OF THE SIERRAS CONTINUED FOR THE NEXT 70 PLUS YEARS. WITH HIS TRADEMARK 13 FOOT “CARDINAL”TRAVEL TRAILER, NICK, ALONG WITH HIS BEAUTIFUL WIFE AND 4 KIDS HIT THE TRAILS AND CAMPGROUNDS FROM LONE PINE TO BRIDGEPORT. FAVORITE STOPS WERE TWIN LAKES, JUNE LAKE AND CONVICT LAKE. THEN ONE LATE FALL NICK AND HIS KIDS STUMBLED UPON TINNEMAHA CREEK CAMPGROUND AND THE REST, YOU COULD SAY, IS HISTORY. ALMOST EVERY SUMMER YOU WOULD SEE THE LITTLE GREEN AND WHITE TRAILER TUCKED IN A CREEKSIDE CAMPSITE FOR THE ANNUAL 2 WEEK FISHING EXCURSION. MANY PEOPLE HAVE THEIR OWN IDEAS AND TECHNIQUES FOR FISHING BUT NICK’S WAS QUITE UNIQUE. HE WOULD TIE A ROPE AROUND THE NECK OF HIS WINE BOTTLE AND LAY THE BOTTLE IN THE CREEK NEXT TO THE BANK IN THE RUSHING WATER. THIS ACCOMPLISHED TWO THINGS; ONE, IT WOULD KEEP THE WINE ICE COLD AND TWO, IT ALWAYS ATTRACTED FISH!! WHO SAID ITALIANS CAN’T FISH? NICK PROVED THEM WRONG WITH MANY A FINE STRINGER PLUCKED FROM THAT CREEK. THIS LOVE AFFAIR WITH HIGH SIERRAS NEVER DIMINISHED, EVEN AS HIS HEALTH BEGAN TO DECLINE. HIS FINAL TRIP TO THESE MAJESTIC MOUNTAINS WAS CHRISTMAS 2018. IN ADDITION TO FISHING AND CAMPING, NICK LOVED TO PLAY GOLF. HE WAS A MEMBER OF THE SUMMERLIN “NINERS” IN LAS VEGAS, NEVADA FOR MANY YEARS. DURING HIS RETIREMENT YEARS, NICK COULD BE SEEN “TEEING-IT-UP” AT MANY COURSES IN CALIFORNIA AND SOUTHERN NEVADA. PROBABLY HIS MOST FAMOUS ATTRIBUTE WAS HIS PASSION AND LOVE FOR COOKING, ESPECIALLY ITALIAN CUISINE. IF YOU EVER CAME TO THE DIRISIO RESIDENCE, YOU WERE IN FOR A TREAT AS HE LOVED TO ENTERTAIN, ESPECIALLY DURING THE HOLIDAYS, WITH LARGE GATHERINGS OF FAMILY AND FRIENDS. AND NOBODY, I MEAN NOBODY, EVER WENT AWAY HUNGRY. IT SEEMED LIKE THE HOLIDAYS HADN’T “OFFICIALLY” STARTED UNTIL THE YEARLY PARTY AT THE DIRISIO’S TOOK PLACE. HIS CHICKEN CACCIATORE AND HOME MADE SPAGHETTI WITH TOMATO SAUCE WERE ALWAYS A CROWD PLEASER, AND THE HOMEMADE MEATBALLS WITH PENNE WERE TO DIE FOR!!! NICK LOVED HIS 4 CHILDREN AND ENJOYED WATCHING THEM AS THEY GREW OLDER. ONE OF THE GREATEST GIFTS HE LEFT HIS KIDS WAS HIS WORK ETHIC. HE WAS FROM A GENERATION WHERE HARD WORK WAS ESSENTIAL. THIS WAS NEVER MORE EVIDENT AS WHEN HE USED THIS “GIFT” AND HIS TALENTS TO BUILD A CUSTOM, 3400 SQUARE FOOT DREAMHOME FOR HIS BRIDE IN BREA, CA AND FROM THE GROUND UP, NO LESS! NEVER BEING ONE TO SHIRK HIS RESPONSIBILITIES TO HIS FAMILY, HE WORKED MULTIPLE JOBS TO KEEP HIS FAMILY SAFE AND COMFORTABLE. ALTHOUGH HE COULD BE TOUGH AT TIMES, HIS KIDS GREW TO RESPECT, APPRECIATE AND ADMIRE THIS QUALITY. WHEN HIS SONS BECAME PARENTS HE ENJOYED THE ROLE OF “GRANPA OR GRAMPS” AS HE WAS FREQUENTLY CALLED BY HIS GRANDKIDS. HE WAS THE QUINTESSENTIAL GRANDPARENT WHO ENJOYED SPOILING THE GRANDKIDS. FISHING EXCURSIONS AND DISNEYLAND TRIPS WITH THE GRANDKIDS KEPT HIM “YOUNG” AS HE WOULD SAY LATER ON. UPON HIS RETIREMENT IN THE MID 1980’S, NICK AND JEAN SET OUT TO FIND AMERICA AND INDEED THEY DID. THEY VISITED EVERY STATE IN THE USA, AS WAS EVIDENCE BY THE COFFEE MUGS COLLECTED FROM EACH STATE. THEY ALSO LOVED THE CRUISE SHIP CIRCUIT AND EMBARKED MORE THAN 8 TIMES TO VARIOUS PORTS OF CALL. NICK WAS TRULY A MEMBER OF THE GREATEST GENERATION AND HIS SELFLESS ACTIONS HELPED MANY. THE PATRIARCH OF THE DIRISIO FAMILY IS NOW GONE BUT HE LEFT A LEGACY OF LOVE IN HIS CHILDREN AND GRANDCHILDREN. NICK WAS PRECEDED IN DEATH BY HIS PARENTS, FREDERICO AND MARIA, AND OLDER SISTERS CONCETTA AND JOSEPHINE. HE WAS ALSO PRECEDED IN DEATH BY HIS BEAUTIFUL WIFE OF 60 YEARS, JEAN, WHO PASSED AWAY JUNE 2018. NICK IS SURVIVED BY HIS 4 CHILDREN, SON, FRED DIRISIO (WIFE MICHELLE) OF BISHOP, DAUGHTER DEBORAH HOLGATE (HUSBAND ROBERT) OF LAS VEGAS, NV, SON, GARY (WIFE-DEBRA) OF BISHOP AND DAUGHTER, JANET OF FULLERTON PLUS 4 GRANDCHILDREN, DEANNA (HIS ITALIAN PRINCESS), DANIEL, NATHAN AND JUSTIN. VIEWING SERVICE FOR NICK WILL BE HELD ON, SUNDAY, AUGUST 18TH FROM 3-5PM AT PALM SOUTHWEST MORTURARY IN LAS VEGAS, NV. FUNERAL SERVICES WILL BE HELD ON MONDAY, AUGUST 19TH AT 10AM AT PALM SOUTHWEST MORTURARY WITH INTERNMENT AT BOULDER CITY VETERANS CEMETARY IN BOULDER CITY, NV. IN LIEU OF FLOWERS, PLEASE MAKE DONATIONS TO THE NATIONAL KIDNEY FOUNDATION.

“WELL DONE, GOOD AND FAITHFUL SERVANT. COME AND SHARE IN YOUR MASTERS HAPPINESS”

MATTHEW: 25:21