Mary P Nisonoff

Mary Palmina Troiani Nisonoff, was born in Berwick, PA on March 20, 1921. She was the 5th of 6 children born to her mother, Angelina, and her father, Ralph, who were both born in Italy. She grew up in a small Italian neighborhood, where most of the families worked either in the local Wise Potato Chip factory, or for the American Car and Foundry Company, reconstructing box cars.  Her father worked as a painter for the American Car and Foundry. 

She attended Berwick High School, and then spent a year at Bloomsburg State Teachers College, hoping to become a teacher. But when the war broke out, she had to withdraw from school. She went to Harrisburg where she found a job as a clerk in the accounting department at the Middletown Air Depot.

It was there that she met her husband, Albert, who was a captain in the Air Force. Their first date was at Indian Lake Cave in 1943.  They married one year later in Harrisburg – there were no guests at the wedding, since neither of their families could afford to travel to Harrisburg. In July of 1945, their first daughter, Elaine was born. Shortly after Mary converted to Judaism.

She and her husband remained in Harrisburg for two years as her husband’s successful career in accounting began, and then moved to Jamesburg, NJ to the house they remained until 1963.  Their second child, Faye, was born in 1950. In 1968 they moved to New Brunswick where Albert died in 2010. After his death she moved to an assisted living facility in Monroe Township and then finally to a memory care facility in Needham, MA.  She had one grandson, Dr. Marcus Ruopp, who lives in Newton, MA, along with his wife, Dr. Nicki Ruopp, and her two great grandchildren, Allie and Jude Ruopp.

Mary was a devoted wife, mother, mother-in-law, grandmother, and great grandmother.  She was a wonderful dancer and loved to sing. She had a real sense of style, and always dressed to the nines.  She was an avid golfer and bridge player, racking up many trophies and honors along the way. She enjoyed watching her grandson play soccer and lacrosse both in high school and college, and delighted in his accomplishment of becoming a doctor.  She had a gift of being able to talk to anyone, regardless of their lot in life.  And she was most generous to anyone who knew and loved her.  To everyone who knew her later in life, she liked to be called “Mrs. Nice Enough.”  She was so much more than “nice enough.”  She was and will always be the best mother one could ever imagine.

Donations in her name may be made to the Cure Alzheimer’s Fund.

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