Obituary for Elena Nicoletti (Piroli)
NICOLETTI, Elena (Piroli)
Elena Nicoletti (Piroli) passed peacefully on August 12th, 2023, in her 92nd year. She was born in Anitrella, Monte San Giovanni Campano, Lazio Italy on June 21, 1931 (officially the 25th) and was the eldest daughter of 7 children born to Luisa Caldaroni and Vincenzo Nicoletti.
Beloved mother to Cinzia Piroli (Yung Jyn Chew) and Valter Piroli (Penny), and stepmother to Gian Carlo Piroli (Shawna). Elena was a much-loved grandmother to Alessandra Helena Fowkes, Taylor Piroli (Michael King), and Brandon Angelo Piroli, Sophia Piroli (Ron Carricato) and Shawn Piroli (Jana Woodcock). She was great-grandmother to Audrey Aase King. Elena is remembered fondly by her nieces and nephews in the USA and Italy. She was predeceased by her brothers, Domenico, Orlando, Giacomo, Michele, Mario and her younger sister Teresa all of whom lived in Italy.
Elena loved to regale her children with vivid stories of her childhood growing up poor in war-torn Italy. She spoke of how her parents couldn’t afford to buy shoes or paper for their schoolwork. How she would go the river to wash clothes, beating them with sticks against the rocks. She was only allowed to socialize on Sundays, after church with her friends in her small village. That her family loved her food so much that she was the designated cook for the entire family. Our mother would take long pilgrimages every year where she, her family and friends would walk for days, sleeping overnight in the mountains to get to the Santissima Trinita in Vallepietra. Elena was also a seamstress who repaired the uniforms of the soldiers during the 2nd World War.
She married Angelo Piroli and moved with him and his son Gian Carlo to Rome Italy. She loved her time in Rome in the 1960’s, enjoying the bustle of city life whilst raising her children. She and Angelo then moved to Sault Ste Marie in August 1970 where she lived for the rest of her long life.
Elena was a talented, imaginative cook who excelled in every aspect of food preparation. She was an avid gardener who let her garden grow wild with abundance. She perfected parboiling methods of keeping vegetables fresh when frozen so that they lasted throughout the cold Canadian winters. Elena made the best preserves: pickled giardiniera from the vegetables in her garden, dozens upon dozens of jars of tomatoes to make sugo, pickled roasted peppers, zucchini and eggplant, and amazing jam from the cherries and peaches that she would collect in the orchards at Traverse City.
Our mother was a master at making the best fettucine, lasagna, cannelloni, ravioli, pasta fagioli and gnocchi that she would put in her enormous freezer that was always stuffed to the brim. Elena also made her own red and white wine, sausages, prosciutto, soppressata and capicola. She made fresh bread and pizza and the best chicken soup in the entire world.
Many years ago, when Alessandra was a baby, Elena flew to England to visit her daughter and granddaughter and was distraught when the airline lost her luggage as she had packed a frozen half of a chicken that she was going to use to make her soup!
She took offence that we found it funny that not only had she brought a frozen chicken all the way from Canada, but that she’d only brought half of one. Elena’s reasoning was that she’d already made the best chicken soup from the first half and she didn’t want her children to miss out on the other half. The suitcase finally came, many hours later, all sweaty in one spot on the outside from the still surprisingly frozen solid chicken.
The soup was as delicious as she said it would be.
Even before then, when her children lived in Toronto, Elena would come and visit with her suitcases stuffed so full of food that it was nearly comically impossible trying to lift them off the carousel at the airport.
It was also well known in the Italian community that the cantina under the front steps of Elena’s home was the best place to cure homemade salumi. As a result of Elena’s kindness and generosity, a number of people would come and leave their handmade meats to cure in her home.
Elena and her friend Anna Lucarelli were master pastry chefs who made delectable cookies, cakes, panettone, crema Inglese stuffed cookie peaches and cream puffs for weddings and banquets. Our most favourite dessert was her most delicious jello and dream whip stuffed puff pastry cannoli.
Besides her wizardry in the kitchen, Elena also worked hard to provide for her family having worked first in a launderette, and then at Minelli’s restaurant where she worked for many years. “La Romana” as she was fondly called by her bosses at Minelli’s was appreciated for her dedication and service, working long days at what was a very popular and busy restaurant.
Elena was also a fantastic knitter and crocheter and could effortlessly whip up a new blanket, a dress, or a sweater in a matter of hours. We have all been fortunate to be gifted the many pieces she crafted.
Elena was also an incorrigible gambler playing for many pennies in heated card games of Briscola and Scopa with her friends and frequenting the slot machines at the local casinos in Michigan and the Soo. She loved going for long walks and she loved to travel, having been to Mexico, Hawaii, New York, Florida, Thunder Bay, England, twice yearly visits to Traverse City, Toronto, Rome, Capri, and to Valter and Penny’s cottage in Southern Ontario. Elena also continued to drive her own car up until her 91st year.
There was precious little she couldn’t do.
Elena had always been a fearless and independent force of nature.
We would like to give a heartfelt thank you to the Finateri sisters; Alberta (Pierina) Mammarella, Ida Mannerino and Rina Maione for all the invaluable care and affection they gave our mother. We will be forever grateful for all that you’ve done for her.
Thank you also to Giuseppe for being her friend who was always checking on her by calling her daily and to Anna Lucarelli and her family for being such great friends to her.
Many thanks to the staff at the F.J. Davey Home and the Sault Area Hospital, especially the staff in in the Renal Unit for their care and compassion towards our mother. So many times, she would tell us how the nurses would call her Bella and stroke her face and tell her how beautiful she was.
Because she was beautiful.
We will always love you and miss you bella nonnetta nostra.
Family and friends may visit O’Sullivan Funeral Home and Cremation Centre (215 St. James Street, SSM) on Wednesday August 16, 2023, from 6:00pm-8:00 pm. A Funeral Service will be held at O’Sullivan Funeral Home on Thursday August 17, 2023, at 11:00am with Father Peter Nwachukw officiating. Entombment in Holy Sepulchre to follow.
Memorial donations may be made to the F. J. Davey Home Foundation or the Sault Area Hospital Renal Care Fund. (Payable online or by cheque).
Elena Nicoletti (Piroli) passed peacefully on August 12th, 2023, in her 92nd year. She was born in Anitrella, Monte San Giovanni Campano, Lazio Italy on June 21, 1931 (officially the 25th) and was the eldest daughter of 7 children born to Luisa Caldaroni and Vincenzo Nicoletti.
Beloved mother to Cinzia Piroli (Yung Jyn Chew) and Valter Piroli (Penny), and stepmother to Gian Carlo Piroli (Shawna). Elena was a much-loved grandmother to Alessandra Helena Fowkes, Taylor Piroli (Michael King), and Brandon Angelo Piroli, Sophia Piroli (Ron Carricato) and Shawn Piroli (Jana Woodcock). She was great-grandmother to Audrey Aase King. Elena is remembered fondly by her nieces and nephews in the USA and Italy. She was predeceased by her brothers, Domenico, Orlando, Giacomo, Michele, Mario and her younger sister Teresa all of whom lived in Italy.
Elena loved to regale her children with vivid stories of her childhood growing up poor in war-torn Italy. She spoke of how her parents couldn’t afford to buy shoes or paper for their schoolwork. How she would go the river to wash clothes, beating them with sticks against the rocks. She was only allowed to socialize on Sundays, after church with her friends in her small village. That her family loved her food so much that she was the designated cook for the entire family. Our mother would take long pilgrimages every year where she, her family and friends would walk for days, sleeping overnight in the mountains to get to the Santissima Trinita in Vallepietra. Elena was also a seamstress who repaired the uniforms of the soldiers during the 2nd World War.
She married Angelo Piroli and moved with him and his son Gian Carlo to Rome Italy. She loved her time in Rome in the 1960’s, enjoying the bustle of city life whilst raising her children. She and Angelo then moved to Sault Ste Marie in August 1970 where she lived for the rest of her long life.
Elena was a talented, imaginative cook who excelled in every aspect of food preparation. She was an avid gardener who let her garden grow wild with abundance. She perfected parboiling methods of keeping vegetables fresh when frozen so that they lasted throughout the cold Canadian winters. Elena made the best preserves: pickled giardiniera from the vegetables in her garden, dozens upon dozens of jars of tomatoes to make sugo, pickled roasted peppers, zucchini and eggplant, and amazing jam from the cherries and peaches that she would collect in the orchards at Traverse City.
Our mother was a master at making the best fettucine, lasagna, cannelloni, ravioli, pasta fagioli and gnocchi that she would put in her enormous freezer that was always stuffed to the brim. Elena also made her own red and white wine, sausages, prosciutto, soppressata and capicola. She made fresh bread and pizza and the best chicken soup in the entire world.
Many years ago, when Alessandra was a baby, Elena flew to England to visit her daughter and granddaughter and was distraught when the airline lost her luggage as she had packed a frozen half of a chicken that she was going to use to make her soup!
She took offence that we found it funny that not only had she brought a frozen chicken all the way from Canada, but that she’d only brought half of one. Elena’s reasoning was that she’d already made the best chicken soup from the first half and she didn’t want her children to miss out on the other half. The suitcase finally came, many hours later, all sweaty in one spot on the outside from the still surprisingly frozen solid chicken.
The soup was as delicious as she said it would be.
Even before then, when her children lived in Toronto, Elena would come and visit with her suitcases stuffed so full of food that it was nearly comically impossible trying to lift them off the carousel at the airport.
It was also well known in the Italian community that the cantina under the front steps of Elena’s home was the best place to cure homemade salumi. As a result of Elena’s kindness and generosity, a number of people would come and leave their handmade meats to cure in her home.
Elena and her friend Anna Lucarelli were master pastry chefs who made delectable cookies, cakes, panettone, crema Inglese stuffed cookie peaches and cream puffs for weddings and banquets. Our most favourite dessert was her most delicious jello and dream whip stuffed puff pastry cannoli.
Besides her wizardry in the kitchen, Elena also worked hard to provide for her family having worked first in a launderette, and then at Minelli’s restaurant where she worked for many years. “La Romana” as she was fondly called by her bosses at Minelli’s was appreciated for her dedication and service, working long days at what was a very popular and busy restaurant.
Elena was also a fantastic knitter and crocheter and could effortlessly whip up a new blanket, a dress, or a sweater in a matter of hours. We have all been fortunate to be gifted the many pieces she crafted.
Elena was also an incorrigible gambler playing for many pennies in heated card games of Briscola and Scopa with her friends and frequenting the slot machines at the local casinos in Michigan and the Soo. She loved going for long walks and she loved to travel, having been to Mexico, Hawaii, New York, Florida, Thunder Bay, England, twice yearly visits to Traverse City, Toronto, Rome, Capri, and to Valter and Penny’s cottage in Southern Ontario. Elena also continued to drive her own car up until her 91st year.
There was precious little she couldn’t do.
Elena had always been a fearless and independent force of nature.
We would like to give a heartfelt thank you to the Finateri sisters; Alberta (Pierina) Mammarella, Ida Mannerino and Rina Maione for all the invaluable care and affection they gave our mother. We will be forever grateful for all that you’ve done for her.
Thank you also to Giuseppe for being her friend who was always checking on her by calling her daily and to Anna Lucarelli and her family for being such great friends to her.
Many thanks to the staff at the F.J. Davey Home and the Sault Area Hospital, especially the staff in in the Renal Unit for their care and compassion towards our mother. So many times, she would tell us how the nurses would call her Bella and stroke her face and tell her how beautiful she was.
Because she was beautiful.
We will always love you and miss you bella nonnetta nostra.
Family and friends may visit O’Sullivan Funeral Home and Cremation Centre (215 St. James Street, SSM) on Wednesday August 16, 2023, from 6:00pm-8:00 pm. A Funeral Service will be held at O’Sullivan Funeral Home on Thursday August 17, 2023, at 11:00am with Father Peter Nwachukw officiating. Entombment in Holy Sepulchre to follow.
Memorial donations may be made to the F. J. Davey Home Foundation or the Sault Area Hospital Renal Care Fund. (Payable online or by cheque).