Zona B. (Mae) Brewster Nicolosi

When Zona B. Nicolosi walked into the room, those in her company felt energy, an enthusiastic spontaneity. This was just one example of who Zona was and how she impacted those around her. Zona was a clever and gregarious person who always sought out the finest attributes in other people. It was as if Zona wanted to share all of their experiences, revel in their lives and celebrate their discoveries. Zona was tireless and had boundless enthusiasm that would serve her well throughout her life.

Zona was born on November 1, 1934 at home in Era, Texas. She was the daughter of John and Nannie Brewster. Zona was raised at the Boles Children's Home in Quinlan, Texas. Always vivacious and fun-loving, she grew up to be quite a humorous person. While some who knew Zona might describe her as an idealist, her friends and family understood well that Zona was always in pursuit of life’s endless possibilities and opportunities available to her.

Zona was raised with five siblings. She had three older brothers: Millard, Albert, and Earl and two older sisters, Pearl and Jean. Zona was very supportive of her family. She sought to keep communication open between the family members. These traits served Zona well in her adult life and, along with her wit, outgoing personality, and understanding of others, drew the admiration of many who knew her.

As a young girl, Zona was able to empathize and identify with a vast array of people and personality types. This quality drew her into a diverse group of friends and acquaintances. Zona was intelligent and had little trouble getting along with her peers. She was almost always the first to jump in when it came to playing games or participating in other childhood activities. She excelled at Bible memorization. In her spare time she liked rollerskating. Zona's memorable achievements included being on the Honor Role. Zona had the ability to find amusement with almost any activity she and the many childhood friends she shared might discover.

During her high school years, Zona responded enthusiastically to any new project and was regularly in search of one adventure after another. She attended Boles Home High School and graduated from high school in El Paso in 1951. Zona was a very good student, and generally did well in her courses. Zona absorbed as much as she could from all of her teachers and was consistently able to tackle conceptual and abstract problems, using her imagination to master her assignments. For Zona, school often became just an extension of playtime, thanks to her ability to turn just about anything into a game. Classmates considered Zona a good listener, knowing that when necessary, they could go to her to discuss just about anything. Her favorite class in high school was English. The teachers she enjoyed learning from the most were Ms. Norton and Ms. Covey.

Zona did well in college, as a result of her comfort level with tackling new theories and her love of learning. She earned her Associates Degree from Secretarial Business School. Her favorite course was typing. Zona was very adaptable, a quality that helped her make the transition from high school to college with little difficulty. As a result, Zona's problem solving skills and thirst for new knowledge almost guaranteed that she enjoyed virtually every class she took. Zona was always in quest of new things to learn and experience.

With a talent for making acquaintances easily which in turn brought her an endless stream of friends, Zona was very sociable and could blend without effort into any social group. Assertive and outgoing, Zona was easy to know and demonstrated a deep concern for others. She always seemed aware of what was going on with people around her and throughout her life she made many friends. While growing up, some of her best friends were Lucy Hamilton, Barbara Ballard, Maxine Williamson, Margie Williamson, and Sammy Vannetta. Later in life, she became friends with Margie Copeland, Joe and Maria Ardivino, Patsy Listrani, Irene Hirotso, Brandy Hellman, Chuck and Cathy Ruffing, and Bonnie Renfro.

On November 5, 1952 Zona married John Nicolosi at the Naval Chapel of San Diego, California. Zona's skill at “building bridges” played an important role in her ability to make her new family happy. She was quite sensitive towards John's needs, showing her constant concern and fondness. Zona was tenderhearted and sensitive, qualities that served her well in helping to nurture her family.

Zona was a natural and creative parent who was willing to provide her family with all sorts of new and interesting experiences. For Zona, parenting was a particularly enjoyable and pleasurable part of her life. Every activity, from chores to bedtime routines, became a game in the Nicolosi home. Zona's skill at understanding her children's feelings, her sensitivity to their needs, and her gift for gentle persuasion enabled her to find novel solutions to any problem or situation that might crop up. Zona was blessed with four children, three daughters: Linda, Karen, and Tara, and one son, Tony. She was also blessed with six grandchildren: Chris, Shanon, Matthew, Allison, Stanford, and Samantha, and three great-grandchildren: Benjamin, Isaac, and Kaaihue.

Zona was uplifted by new ideas and was excited by life’s possibilities, traits that made her an exceptional worker. Her primary occupations were as a hotel manager and apartment manager. She was employed for 20 years by Travelodge. Zona was enterprising, inventive and working against deadlines seemed to energize her. Zona had the uncanny ability to identify a win/win solution to just about any problem, possibly because of her gift for insight. Zona's fellow workers saw her as a supporter and a mentor.

Because Zona loved to have a broad variety of activities in her life, she took advantage of the opportunity to pursue numerous hobbies. Her favorite pursuits were bowling, horses, dancing, home decorating, playing cards and casino entertainment. Zona had a knack for being able to multi-task in order to create time for all of her favorite pastimes. However, Zona's ever-present concern for others always took precedent.

Throughout her life, Zona was actively involved in professional and community organizations. She was compassionate, accommodating and quick to move into action. Always able to build a consensus, Zona seemed to be the person smack dab in the middle of things, working to get things done. Those who had the opportunity to work with Zona usually agreed that when you were involved in an organization with her, it was as entertaining as anything you could imagine. Throughout the years, Zona was an active member of the Junior Hospitality, Presbyterian Women's League, and Cat & Horse Rescue.

Zona was a woman who was dedicated and devoted to her faith. She was a member of the Church of Christ for 25 years, Presbyterian for 25 years, and Crystal Cathedral for 25 years. During that time, she was in children's ministry and youth leadership. She was sympathetic and able to empathize with others and she used these qualities to the fullest while working tirelessly for her beliefs.

Zona's love of improvising in her daily life was a perfect fit for her enjoyment of traveling. Her favorite vacations were ones that were not planned. Traveling in a casual manor fit her personality well. Excited about seeing changing scenery and constantly looking for the enjoyment life could offer- Zona loved her vacations. Favorite vacations included the Virgin Islands, Lake Powell, and R.V. Camping.

Zona was a lover of animals and cherished her pets. She had two dogs, Fifi, a Poodle and Duke, A German Shepherd. Her family was rounded out by her cats: Snowflake, Pixie, Pierre, Buffy, Bear, Bigboy, and Sambo, in addition to many other cats that she nursed back to health and found new homes for.

When Zona's retirement finally came in April 2008, Zona handled it the way she usually did. She adapted and, like everything in her life, made it satisfying. Because she was such a flexible person and able to adjust to any situation, retirement was just another enjoyable change of pace for Zona to master. In retirement, she found new pleasure in rescuing cats in need of a home. Even in retirement, Zona continued to stay in touch with her old friends and like always, made plenty of new ones.

Zona Nicolosi passed away on August 22, 2010 at Nathan Adelson Hospice in Las Vegas, Nevada. Zona fought a brave battle against colon cancer. She is survived by her three daughters: Linda, Karen, and Tara; her son, Tony; six grandchildren; three great-grandchildren, with one on the way; one brother; and two sisters. Services were held at Palm Mortuary, Eastern Chapel in Las Vegas, Nevada. Zona was laid to rest at Riverside Memorial in California.

There was always a certain style and inventiveness to Zona. She was a dynamic, self-expressive person who was forever looking to celebrate the endless possibilities life had to offer. She had a knack for being clever, creative and witty, and for others, was a joy to be around. While she was often fiercely independent, it seemed as if many others looked to Zona Nicolosi for inspiration, leadership, wisdom and even courage. Zona was always more than willing to share life’s experiences with her loved ones.

Arrangements under the direction of Palm Green Valley Funeral Home, Las Vegas, NV.