Elizabeth De Nichilo

Elizabeth De Nichilo (nee Mazzoccoli), age 62 of Wayne, died peacefully at home on Thursday, April 22, 2021. She had been receiving the loving care of her family.

Elizabeth loved being a teacher assistant and had taught pre-k and kindergarten for many years at St. Anthony’s in Paterson before moving to St. Gerard’s School on W. Broadway in Paterson about fifteen years ago. Her entire professional career had been teaching and her students will surely miss her.

Elizabeth was raised in Paterson and attended Paterson Catholic High School before her family moved to Wayne in 1975. She finished high school at Wayne Valley and graduated in 1976. Her mother warmly recalls what a good kid Elizabeth was as a teenager, who never did wrong (as far as she knows) and listened to her parent’s guidance. Elizabeth especially loved dancing, and being a teenager in the 1970’s, at the peak of the disco years, made for a lot of fun times! More recently, she enjoyed shopping at the outlets in Woodbury Commons, Tinton Falls, and Pennsylvania. A huge fan of the NY YANKEES and NY GIANTS, she had lots of fun going to many home games throughout the years. She had a special love for the beach too, and spent many summers at their condo in Wildwood Crest.

In 1979, Elizabeth met Nick De Nichilo and they went on a date to the movies. Romance ensued and they were soon engaged! They exchanged vows at St. Anthony’s Parish in Paterson before honeymooning on the Hawaiian Islands of Maui, Oahu, and Kauai. They lived in Paterson for a few years before buying their home in Wayne in 1991, where they have lived ever since. They have enjoyed nearly forty years together and Nick will miss her dearly.

Elizabeth was very proud of her home and kept it immaculately clean. She learned the importance of keeping a clean home from her mom, and she did just that. Elizabeth was also an excellent cook, having learned all the traditional Italian dishes from her mom. Her sauce was the best, and she cooked her pasta perfectly. She has since passed those cooking skills down to her own daughters, along with the cleaning skills! Elizabeth also enjoyed decorating her home for Christmas, bringing the holiday spirit into the house for her favorite holiday. She had a lifelong love for cats ever since she was small. Her first cat was Friskie and then Charlie and now Minnie and Coconut. They were not just pets, but truly members of the family. She was a faithful Catholic who not only taught in Catholic schools during her whole career, but was also a lifelong parishioner at Our Lady of the Valley RC Church in Wayne.

Elizabeth is survived by her husband Nick of Wayne, two daughters; Nicole and Deanna De Nichilo, both of Wayne, and her mother; Angiolina Mazzoccoli of Wayne. Elizabeth was predeceased by her father, Angelo, in 2008, and by her brother, Vincent, in 2011.

In lieu of flowers, donations in Elizabeth’s memory would be greatly appreciated to Susan G. Komen, 13770 Noel Rd, Suite 801889, Dallas, TX 75380, or visit komen.org