Nick passed away December 26, 2015, with his family by his side.
Born on November 1, 1927, All Saints’ Day, in Mammola, Reggio Calabria, Italy, he was named after the town’s patron saint. He was the second of seven children born into a farming family. His early years were challenging, growing up through the Great Depression and World War II. He lost three of his siblings early in life. In 1952, after years of listening to his father’s stories of working on the construction of the Grand Trunk Railroad and the N&E Railroad, he immigrated to Canada, landing in Montreal. The cold weather didn’t agree with him much and after 18 months, he headed west. He ended up in Hillside, finding employment at the gravel pit. He travelled back to Italy to marry the girl next door, Maria Giuseppa Scali, on December 26, 1956. They settled down in Hillside, and started a family. In 1963, they moved into a house they helped build in Gibsons. He started working at the pulp mill at Port Mellon in 1964, working various jobs in the yard and ship loading. He obtained his locomotive operator’s ticket in the early 1970s and ran the ‘loci’ until he retired in 1990.
Nick was well known for his large vegetable garden and homemade red wine. Friends and family were always welcome to the many backyard brick barbecues under the grapevine pergola.
He was patriarch of a large extended family, sponsoring numerous family members to immigrate to Canada. His generosity and family values extended to his children’s spouses and all his grandchildren who shared many special moments with their ‘nonno’.
He is survived by the love of his life, his wife of 59 years, ‘Josie’, his daughter Maria (Andy) Pelletier, son Fil Rinaldis, daughter Loretta (Jerry) Burke and daughter Stella (Carl) Kafka; and grandchildren Katherine, Alex, Natasha, Maia and Sam, siblings, nieces and nephews in Canada, South America and Italy.
Funeral mass will be held Monday, January 4 at 1 pm, at St. Mary’s Catholic Church in Gibsons. Internment Tuesday, January 5 at 11 am, Ocean View Burial Park in Burnaby.
The Rinaldis family wish to thank Dr. Ed Berinstein, Dr. Sara Wadge, the staff at Gibsons Medical Clinic and lab, the staff at Sechelt Hospital and the ambulance attendants who helped care for Dad.
In lieu of flowers, donations to the Sechelt Hospital Foundation would be appreciated.
Thanks for everything, Dad. Love, your children.