Obituary of Nancy Sangiorgi

La Vita e Bella. (Life IS Beautiful) On June 10, 1956 Nunziata Spataro was born in Comiso, Sicily to a mason and seamstress. The combination of both the strong-callused hands of her father and soft gentle hands of her mother would defy the kind hearted, strong willed women she would become. In 1964, after the passing of her father, she moved to America where she was embraced by her Aunts and Uncles living in Saddle Brook, NJ. Her Mother Salvatrice, Aunt Francesca (Cicci), brother Biagio, sister Rita and grandmother "Nonni" purchased a home in Elmwood Park where Nunziata excelled in school and became known as the more familiar "Nancy". She praised her Mother but also insistently gave tribute to her Aunt Cicci who sacrificed her life to contribute to the family. As an education and foreign language major, Nancy was fortunate to return back to Italy to study aboard prior to her graduation from Rutgers Newark Campus. She spent over 35 years with the Meadowlands YMCA where she demonstrated her love for teaching and devotion to others. Her kindness and compassion was an ideal fit for the non-profit organization. Acting as the Executive Director, she found the most joy in teaching classes ranging from "Mommy and Me" to "Stretch and Flex". It was through those YMCA programs where Nancy was introduced to her husband Roenzo. The two met over lunch at what would become her future mother-in-law"s house. On September 3, 1983 the two celebrated a double wedding at St. Leo's in Elmwood Park receiving the holy sacrament of marriage along side her sister Rita and her husband Kenny. She embraced her new sister Louisa, brother Louie and was proud to have extended her family to theirs. Together Nancy and Enzo purchased their first home in Lyndhurst, NJ where she gave birth to her most cherished and prized gifts: her children. She basked in Motherhood and took great pride in the values and traditions she instilled in her family. In 1992 the family of now five (Nancy, Enzo, Michael, Mark and Monica) moved to Wyckoff, NJ parting with old friends while determined to make new. Nancy soon became an active parishioner at St. Elizabeth's in Wyckoff where she volunteered her time and energy sharing her unwavering faith. She sincerely enjoyed her luncheons with friends and early morning walks around the neighborhood. After her diagnosis in 2008, Nancy remained steadfast in her dedication to friends and family while fighting cancer. She renewed her indescribable bond with her sister and fought relentlessly to put her cancer in remission both in 2009 and 2012. In November of 2012 she returned to Italy for a 10-day journey with her husband and friends from St. Elizabeth's to explore sights and sounds she'd seen so many years before. Her smile and positive outlook on life was contagious to friends, family, and strangers alike. She will be remembered for the countless lives she touched, relationships she held and uncompromising dedication and sacrifice to her family. Nancy is survived by her Husband Roenzo ( Enzo), her children Monica, Mark, Michael and his wife Caitlin and her 15-month-old grandson Leonardo. Her caring sister Rita Parciasepe, her husband Kenny and their sons Joey and Anthony also survive her. She was predeceased by her father Guiseppe and survived by her mother Salvatrice, her Aunt Francesca, her brother Biagio and his wife Marie. Lastly she is survived by her brother-in-law Louie, sister-in-law Louisa, and her husband Richard, their children Jason and Jannine, her Aunts, Uncles, cousins and cherished Godchildren. She will be loved and missed greatly by all.