ROCCA, NICOLA - 1927 - 2014 - Nicola Rocca of Riverview, passed away peacefully on Thursday, May 1, 2014. Born May 6, 1927 in Catanzaro, Calabria, Italy. He was married to the late Caterina (Mastroianni) Rocca for 57 years. He was the son of the late Pasquale and Anna Rocca, who passed away on the day of his birth. Nicola came to Canada with his brother, Bernardo, in 1948 as young men to start a long and prosperous business career in the construction industry that has since been passed on to the third generation of his family. Nicola loved the outdoors, spending most weekends fishing on the Miramichi and hunting with his bird dogs in the fall. After retirement he spent his winters in Florida. He is survived by his daughter Anna (Joe) Spataro; his son Saverio Rocca, both of Riverview; three grandchildren: Nick (Jackie) Spataro, Melissa (Kevin) Cormier and Gina (John) Spataro, all of Riverview; six great-grandchildren: Olivia, Emma, Antonio, Marco, Dante and Bianca; sister-in-law, Giovanna (Philippo) Rocca of Saint John; brother-in-law, Giuseppe Mastroianni of Calabria, Italy; nephews: Pat (the late Joan) Rocca of Burlington, ON; Saverio (Jackie) Rocca; John (Gail) Rocca of Saint John, NB; as well as several great-nephews and great-nieces. Besides his parents and his wife, Caterina, Nicola was predeceased by his son, Saverio; brother Bernardo; and sister-in-law Giovanna. The family would like to extend a special thank you to Reg and Diane Shanahan for making Nicola’s last few months so comfortable. To palliative care nurses Claudine Cormier and Carol Paquin and Dr. Pamela Mansfield – a special thank you as well for the professional care you provided to Nicola.
The family will be receiving friends and relatives at Cobb’s Funeral Home and Cremation Center, 330 Whitepine Rd., Riverview (869-2007) on Sunday from 2 to 4 and 6 to 8 pm with parish prayers and sharing of memories taking place at 7:30pm from the funeral home. The funeral mass will take place from Immaculate Heart of Mary Catholic Church on Monday, May 5, 2014 at 11am with Father Charles Broderick presiding. The interment will follow in Fair Haven Memorial Gardens. Donations made in Nicola’s honour to the Alzheimer’s Society, Breast Cancer Society of Canada, or a memorial of the donor’s choice would be greatly appreciated by the family. Online condolences may be expressed at www.cobbsfuneralhome.ca