Nicola Della Croce

He was a devoted father to his three sons; Ralph (Caroline), Anthony (Liza), and Rob (Michelle), and a proud Nonno to Michele (Lynsey), Stefano (Karina), Alessia, Mattea (Kalvin), Mackenzi (Keaton), Luke, Micah, Joseph, and Ava. His joy extended to his Great Grandchildren; Elio, Carter, Chase and Amelia. “Nick”, as everyone knew him, is survived by his brother Tomasso and was predeceased by his siblings Francesca, Valente (Val), and Alberto (Albert).

As a very young man, Nick left Italy to find work in Australia for several years, before returning to his home in Italy where he married the love of his life, Luisa. He and Luisa later bravely ventured to Canada with his brothers and sister, relying on one another to build a new and better life. Together, they used their combined strengths, talents and resources to support one another to build a life and raise their families in this new country, each of them known for their strong work ethic, faith, love of life, food, and a strong sense of family tradition. Nick was a proud and dedicated employee at Fiberglass Canada for 35 years to provide for his family.

Nick’s life truly revolved around large family gatherings. He absolutely loved dressing up as Santa when hosting Christmas Eve dinner every year at his house. However, the younger generation quickly picked out that it was Nonno Nick, not Saint Nick. Despite that, the children graciously went along with it because of his solid A-for-effort, easily picking out his Italian accent. They loved receiving presents and a hug from him. He also loved being the Bingo caller, a family favourite activity at Christmas gatherings. Despite his teeny bit of impatience with the chatter and non-stop cheesy jokes blurted out by the large family gathered at hand, and his occasional firm but abrupt yell for attention during the game; Nonno’s heart was always in the right place, filled with gratitude seeing the different generations coming together during these special occasions. Most of all, Nick loved anything involving food, most notably any type of pasta! Moreover, he adored tending to his backyard garden with great care for hours on end, and he was especially known for using these homegrown vegetables to make the most delicious soups - most famously minestrone and pasta with beans that would melt in your mouth with flavour. Along with this, Nick equally enjoyed the hobbies of jarring tomato sauce, bottling peaches and peppers and making his own wine from scratch. Charismatic and social, he was a natural storyteller with a sharp sense of humor and a playful, sarcastic wit. He also loved to dance and was a sought-after partner at parties, weddings, and anniversaries. He also enjoyed bowling for years in a local league, and was equally skilled at bocce ball, playing cards, billiards, and in his younger years -cherished family camping trips and an outdoor picnic whenever possible with relatives and friends.

Following a beautiful outdoor get-together and barbeque at his home in late summer with family, neighbours and friends, Nick was fortunate to be welcomed into the Elliott Community as his new home, where he quickly became a loved favorite amongst the staff. They quickly noticed his zest for life and deep desire for human connection and laughter. The family extends their heartfelt thank you to Dr. Lee and the entire staff for the dignity, patience, and compassionate care they showed Nick each and every day – they were all truly angels to him. He will be deeply missed and fondly remembered by all who had the pleasure of knowing him.

Friends will be received at Gilbert MacIntyre & Son Funeral Hart Chapel at 1099 Gordon St. Guelph on Monday, January 26 from 2:00 pm to 4:00 pm and 7:00 pm and 9:00 pm. A funeral mass will take place on Tuesday, January 27 at 11:00 at the Basilica of Our Lady Immaculate, 28 Norfolk St. Guelph, followed by entombment at Marymount Cemetery - Mausoleum (5400 Hwy 6, Guelph/Eramosa, ON N0B 1B0). A reception in the church hall will take place after the entombment. All are invited to celebrate Nick’s beautiful life. We love you Dad/Nonno!

As expressions of sympathy, donations to the The Elliott Community would be appreciated by the family. Donations may be made at Gilbert MacIntyre & Son Funeral Home, Hart Chapel 1099 Gordon St. Guelph or online at www.gilbertmacintyreandson.com