FORT EDWARD – Rita Ann Nicolai, 89, of Putnam Avenue, passed away on Saturday, September 7, 2019 at her home.
Born on April 4, 1930, in Glens Falls, she was the daughter of the late Alfred and Elvira (Cafarelli) Nicolai.
Rita graduated from Hudson Falls High School in 1948, and then attended Massachusetts Bay Community College in Newton, Massachusetts.
She had several places of employment, starting with General Electric in Fort Edward, before moving to the Boston area, where she resided for 46 years.
Following her job at GE, she worked as the Principal’s Secretary at Brookline High School, where she retired in 1995. She then worked as a part time aide at Waltham Public Schools. She was also an aide at several fitness classes taught at Glens Falls Public Schools. She loved working with kids.
Rita was also an extremely active member of the community, volunteering at St. E’s in Brighton, the Waltham Hospital Gift Shop, the Glens Falls Hospital Guild, Kingsbury Fort Edward Senior Center, and the Warren County Historical Society. She was an active member of the Rosary Altar Society and sang in the choir at St. Mary’s/St. Paul’s Church in Hudson Falls.
In her free time, she enjoyed playing boardgames, watching sports-especially tennis, basketball and baseball, as she was a fan of the Celtics, the Yankees and the Red Sox, attending the theater, listening to most music and spending time with her beloved nieces, nephews and cats. In her retirement, Rita was a proud member of the Twisted Twirlers.
Besides her parents, Rita was predeceased by her nephew, Ted Merrill; her
sisters, Viola Merrill and Jean N. Pardee.
Survivors include her sister, Olga Nicolai-Larocque; her nieces and nephews, Beth, Tim, Patrick Merrill, Tami Burton, Derek Pardee, Joseph Pardee, Renee Turton, Larry Pardee, and Chad Pardee; and several great nieces and great nephews.
As per Rita’s wishes, there will be no public calling hours.
A Funeral Mass will be held at St. Mary’s/St. Paul’s Church in Hudson Falls on Friday, September 13, 2019 at 1 p.m.
Burial will follow at St. Mary’s Cemetery in Fort Edward.
Donations may be made in Rita’s name to either St. Mary’s/St. Paul’s Church, 11 Wall Street, Hudson Falls or to the Leukemia Lymphoma Society, 1 Marcus Blvd. #104, Albany, NY 12205.
Arrangements have been entrusted to Carleton Funeral Home, Inc., 68 Main Street, Hudson Falls, NY.
