Louis "Lou" Nisenbaum

rest in peace

I just heard of Lou's passing and felt such loss. I will miss our infrequent yet inspiring conversations. Lou was a wonderful and supportive human being and I feel privileged to have known him. My deepest condolences to Emily and family.

I haven't seen nor heard from Louis since 1969 at Marietta College. However, when I heard of his passing I felt a sense of loss of a wonderful man. His humor was his gift. Being a sailor I offer this to you Louis: "fair winds and following sea."

Ron and I were so sad to hear about Lou. Rhonda and Hap, we fondly remember our high school days, and Ron and I share in happy memories of Marietta. Judy Ferretti Kandzer

In loving memory of a wonderful person. We will love you and miss you always.

It is hard to lose a good man when we need so many more to help us reach the goals that Lou had set for us. He will be sorely missed.
Barbara Cutler

So sorry for your loss.
May God grant you a comfort and peace that only he can give, as time passes.
Again my prayers for comfort and peace be with you all at this time and always.

May God bless you and your family in this time of sorrow.

i am srry about your loss

There are many things one could say about Lou but what I will remember most is the feeling that he was always happy to see you and that you mattered.

You truly are a hero for our times, as evidenced by the long line of people waiting to pay their respects on this Monday morning. Thanks for having the courage to act on your convictions and the kind-heartedness to forgive others for their failings.

Lou will definitely be missed by all the people who he personally touched & helped by making a difference their lives. He certainly change mine. My thoughts and prayers to his entire family.
Syrena Costa-Neves

I loved Lou's passion, his spirit and his heart. He really cared ! I appreciated his ideas, thoughts and support. When I think of him I always think of you Em, two peas in a pod. My sympathies and love to you.

Lou's presence will be missed daily but he left the world and all of us better for having known him.
Lou, you taught us a lot and you wore your passion every day.

Dear Emily,
Our deepest sympathy goes out to you, Lou's family and loved ones. May the God of all consolation comfort you in your loss. We'll keep you in our prayers.

Rick & Norma Horton

Lou made such a lasting impact on so many lives. He was truly an inspiration to me and I will miss his humor, his wit and his passion. Emily, my thoughts are with you and your family.

I am grateful to have known and worked with Lou for a number of years. Among numerous exceptional qualities, Lou was a man of both vision and forethought. Many people can envision a desired future, Lou also continually worked on practical plans to get there. His legacy will go on and on. My thoughts and prayers are with the family.

A few weeks ago when Mr. Nisenbaum came into the Diner, I could see that he was ill.You never would have known it from him. As he sat around the corner(his favorite spot)his infectious laughter could be heard by all.He was always asking me how my family was, especially about my son John, who he coached in Little League, and life. He will be missed so much!

The loss of this kind, wonderful, and caring man is huge in our family. I will treasure the time we shared together and the support he gave Greg and me when most needed. He touched our lives in so many ways and we will miss him, but we were blessed to have had the opportunity to know this incredible man. Our thoughts are with all of Lou's family and friends as they adjust to life without him. Hold on to those precious memories and you all can be so proud of the man we all knew and loved. Love to Emily, Rhonda, Paula, Michael and families. Greg and Trudy

I was not fortunate enough to know Lou personally, but his legacy lives on. For all he did for individuals with special needs and for their families, he will not be forgotten. My sincere condolences on losing such a good man.

Dearest Emily,
A life well lived by Lou,says it all!Know how much he will be missed by you & the family.We will miss him at Family Day.However he will be there in spirit as he will be beside you to keep
you strong.Always in our prayers,love
Auntie Doris,& Uncle Ted.

Lou was such an amazing, talented, passionate man who touched the lives of so many people. It was always an adventure talking with Lou! He had so many interests and interesting things to say although sooner or later the conversation would always get back to family - his or someone else's. My heart goes out to Emily and Lou's family. We share your sorrow but remember all the joy, support and inspiration he gave to so many.

Mark Sanderson

Lou as your hairstylist for many many years,know that I will miss seeing your jolly full of life smile walk through those doors,knowing that we were about to have a conversation full of wisdom,positivity and a little controversy thrown in there now and then! good for the soul conversation. you will be sadly missed lou.I send my sympathy to all of your friends and family,especially emily,truly the love of your life,and proudly your "rock" through this challenging,sad time rest in peace lou. kim henderson middleboro massachusetts

A truly fine gentleman has left us. It was a pleasure to have known Lou. My deepest sympathy to you and all of his family members.

Lou was the most outspoken, strong willed, stubborn, gentle, loving, and kindest man I have ever met. He was never shy to tell me the truth but always the first to show me love and unconditional support. He was a great listener and strong advocate for family connections. Em, we are so sorry for your loss but we are glad he is no longer in pain. Lou, you will be missed so much. Say Hi to Donaia (Beverly) and Grandpa Henry for us! We love you Lou and Em. Thank you for bringing so much laughter into our lives.
Love, David and Phuong Hathaway

Dear Emily and Nisenbaum Family,
It is with a sad heart that we hear the news of Lou's death. We are praying for your family during this difficult period. Please know that Lou made a strong impact on our family's lives during and after attending the Family Leadership Series a few years ago. Lou and Emily have been inspirational in our journey as Special Needs parents, and we are forever grateful for their work. Lou's work and dedication will continue on through all the lives he has touched.
With love,
Jerry and Elizabeth Nightingale

The fight is not over! God now has an angel who will help carry out his work.
My prayers to all of Lou's family and friends.

Upon hearing of Lou's passing I want to express my sympathy to all family and friends. The world lost a great deal of love and understanding on Oct. 26th. True unselfish "Compassion" embodied who he was. I hope we all can take some of that spirit onward in living our lives.

Emily and family,
I am so saddened by the news of Lou's passing. He was a wonderful man and a joy to see walk through the doors of my store in Lakeville.
His laughter- the stories he would tell- and the wit he possessed were amazing. He could jump into a conversation with anyone and when all was said and done-walk away leaving all of us with smiles and laughter.
He was the best.
I am honored to have known Lou and be able to call him a friend. I will miss him alot.
The thoughts and prayers of all of us at the store are with you in this time of saddness.
Until we meet again my friend.
Paul Winberg-Lakeville

I loved Lou and did not simply believe he was so sick. I loved his warmth and passion and his carrying on about what the world should be like.

Emily and Lou.....the two of you have changed the world for families in Massachusetts. We thank you so much.

Emily, my prayers are with you and your family. My deepest sympathy.

To Emily, family and Friends,

I'm so glad that I had the opportunity to meet Lou and witness his compassion, zest and zeal which enabled individuals with disabilities the opportunity to pursue their passions and desires. Many individuals and families have greatly benefited from his tenacity and steadfastness in addressing systemic issues and commitment to employment and full community participation. I will always remember his spirit and dedication.

The world has lost a great old soul who has touched the lives of so many. He was committed, passionate and highly effective in what he did, yet he had such a warmth about him. he will be missed immensely.

Lou was a great person to talk with because he was conversant on such a wide range of topics. We always talked sports but I also loved talking to him about books and authors. Even though I only saw him once a year, I will miss his insight and especially his laugh.

Lou had such a huge positive impact on our family. He changed our lives and gave us such a new perspective. I will never lose the vision for our son, Christopher, that he will achieve his potential and be a valued, accepted member of our community, now and in the future. This has been a wonderful guiding principle for us that shapes all our decisions. Our hearts and prayers go out to all of you; Lou is an incredible loss.

God Bless Lou & his loving family...my prayers are with you all...

We are very sad. Since we learned of Lou's death two days ago, Greg and I have been sharing many memories of Lou. He taught us so much, shared so much with us. What a remarkable, generous, loving man! We are very lucky to have spent time with him and are thankful for that. Peace and comfort to all who loved him. Michaelan, Greg and Fiona

Lou was an inspiration to me and my friends whom children with special needs. So sad about his passing.

Emily-

My greatest sympathies to you and your family- Lou was an inspiration to me with his passion and conviction to make a change in this world.. His sage advice served me and my son well. God Bless your family


Pat Keenan;Easton MA

Our love and prayers to Emily and Lou's family and friends. Lou was the rock. He pushed us to accomplish so much more than we thought was possible. What I will most remember is his amazing ability to stop the tension with well-timed humor. So many times he made us stop and laugh at ourselves, then get back to work. Thank you Lou.

On behalf of the members and staff at the MA Developmental Disabilities Council.

My condolences to the family. I was surprised to see this obituary in the Bangor paper. Louis lived next door to me in the late 1950's on Division St. We played many hours after dark, when it was still safe for kids. I always wanted to know whatever happened to him after he moved. His life was amazing! Steve Wong

I will always remember the very first time we met Lou

To Emily and all of Lou's family and friends: Lou was a giant in the field of disabilities services and supports. His leadership has impacted thousands of people he never knew but live more empowered and fulfilling lives due to his efforts. He will be remembered and revered for generations to come. Thank you for sharing this wonderful man with the rest of the world. May his memory be a blessing.

Mike,
So sorry for the loss of your brother. Sounds like he was a wonderful man, and will be missed by many. I will be sure to keep you and your family in prayer through this difficult time.

So very saddened to hear of Lou's passing. He was an amazing man with a big heart. Evan will always cherish the time they spent together. We feel blessed and fortunate to have known him. We will never forget him. Our thoughts and prayers to Emily, his children, family and all those who loved him.

To Emily, Amy and all of Lou's family and friends, we offer our sincerest condolences. Lou has touched so many people with his vision for and unrelenting commitment to ensuring respect, dignity and a deserved place in society for our loved ones with disabilities. Lou understood the value of every life and the gifts and talents of all people, regardless of ability. His tireless advocacy has made real and enduring changes in our world that will positively impact individuals with disabilities for many lifetimes.

We have been truly blessed to know Lou; his inspiration and vision have helped guide our family on our journey. Our son's life is better, richer and happier because of the work, perserverence and love of (all) people, demonstrated by Lou. We hope that Lou's family feels some comfort knowing their loved one leaves this earthly life with a lasting legacy lived every day by disabled individuals, the people who love them, educate and care for them and the community at large. With love and gratitude, John and Debra Cornish (Mattapoisett, MA)

Lou was a great guy he will be missed. My heart goes out to Emily and all who loved him.

Dear Emily and Amy,
When someone we love becomes a memory, the memory becomes a treasure. My deepest heartfelt sympathies to you both. Love, Christina Tavanian

Dear Lou, you are in the arms of the angels now. RIP dear friend. RIP.

Dear Emily and Amy,
Sending our love and sympathy to you.

Dear Emily,
Sending our love and prayers to you and your family.

Good Night my Friend! Enjoy the celemony as I am sure you will, and know that there is a lot of love coming your way! Prayers and comfort to Emily and family.

Dear Emily and Family,
We were saddened by our loss of Lou -- saddened as, we're sure, are the vast numbers of people with disabilities, their families, and those of us who worked with them. A really great and creative man.
Mary Cerreto & David Coulter

My thoughts and prayers are with him and his family at this time.

One of the greatest men we've ever known! We learned so much from Lou and we will miss him so very much! ~Don, Linda & Jared Fredette

My thoughts and prayers go out to all of Lou's family and friends. I am truly sorry for your loss.

Ken Venturi once said, “The world will not remember you for what you take from it, but for what you leave behind.� Lou has touched countless lives with his tireless work on behalf of those with developmental disabilities. His life was an inspiration to all who knew him.

I was shocked & saddened to hear of Lou's passing. He touched so many lives. He definitely came into this world with a purpose and I believe he achieved what he set out to do! My thoughts & prayers go out to Em & his family. I'm sure Java is lost without him. Loved seeing those 2 walk into Nemasket in the morning! Lou will be missed by many!

Lou was an awesome man! For his work, his bold laugh, his tender heart. You will be missed! I'll always remember our conversations in Ross' old office.. you are at peace now & I pray for your family.