Nicholas "Nick" Paul Giarraffa

Giarraffa, Nicholas P., baptized in the hope of Christ’s Resurrection, passed suddenly on Tuesday, January 19, 2021. Beloved son of Louis S. and the late Patricia A. (nee Hauser) Giarraffa, dear brother of Angela (Nicolas) Spatola, Denise (Peter) Roldan, and Anthony (Stacey) Giarraffa; loving uncle of Noel and Oscar Spatola, Chiara Roldan, Hailey and Nora Giarraffa; a dear cousin and friend to many.

Nick attended DeSmet Jesuit High School and Rockhurst University. He joined the Army Reserves while attending Rockhurst, and completed basic training at Fort Leonard Wood in May of 2003. He was called to serve his country overseas in Operation Iraqi Freedom; and came back to graduate with a BA in Psychology in May of 2006. Nick received the Army Commendation Medal for each of his two tours of duty during Operation Iraqi Freedom (Feb 2004 - March 2005 and Sept 2009 - Aug 2010).

Nick’s passions included helping others in need, playing his saxophone, attending live music events, and traveling the world, including Guatemala, Qatar, and Italy. In his travels, he enjoyed learning and understanding all different types of cultures and people.

Nick enjoyed museums and various forms of art, in fact he dabbled in sketching and painting in his free time.

The one job he truly loved was working with children with autism through Special School District. His dream was to specialize in music therapy, and often brought his saxophone to play Disney songs for the students.

He was kind, easy-going and compassionate. He had a witty sense of humor and a warm smile. A proud member of his large extended family, he was loved dearly by his nieces and nephew, who recall numerous tickle fights and wrestling matches with him.

Services: The family is planning a Memorial Mass later this spring. As a veteran of two tours in Iraq, Nick’s cremains will be placed in a columbarium at Jefferson Barracks National Cemetery.

Memorials may be made to

Independence Center

Independence Center is a community-based rehabilitation program for adults with severe and persistent mental illnesses in the St. Louis area, built on the Clubhouse model of psychosocial rehabilitation. Our mission is to provide all the services and resources a person with a serious and persistent mental illness needs, to manage their symptoms, find belonging and purpose, and gain the independence to live a healthy, quality life.