Nicholas D'Ambrosio

D'AMBROSIO
Nicholas, 85, of Toms River, passed away peacefully at Ocean County Medical Center after a brief illness. He was born in Fraine, Italy and immigrated to America 1937 and settled in Paterson. Once married, he and his wife moved to Wayne where they raised their family. In 1995 they moved to the Lake Ridge Community where they enjoyed an active lifestyle of travel, club activities, and warm friendships.
Nicholas was a U.S. Army veteran serving his country in the Korean War. He was a graduate of Montclair State University where he was a member of Phi Beta Kappa earning a B.A. and M.A. in Science. He went on to enjoy a long and successful career as a professor of math and sciences at William Paterson University and was recognized for emeritus status in retirement. He received numerous professional awards and was a published author with books in the fields of science and Italian culture. He was a lifelong learner with great intellectual curiosity and remained a teacher through his final days.
A humble and religious man, Nicholas was active in the Catholic Church having fundraised to build Annunciation of the Blessed Virgin Mary Church in Wayne. He also ran the religious education program there for several years. He was fortunate enough to have had an audience with Pope Pius XII at the Vatican in Rome.
In retirement he remained active and vibrant by pursuing his passions outside education. He loved to explore the world and traveled to every continent except Antarctica. He was an avid bowler, golfer, and gardener. At Lake Ridge he belonged to several clubs including the bowling club, computer club, men's club, and the Italian club.
Nicholas is survived by his beloved wife of 57 years, Dolores (Marino). He is survived by his sister Lena Galletta but predeceased by his brothers Armand and Anthony. He is also survived by his son Nicholas and his wife Debbie of Houston, TX and his daughter Donna and her husband Lee Barden of Morganville. He is survived by five grandchildren: Kate and Matthew D'Ambrosio and Zachary, Michael and Kevin Barden.
Nicholas (Pop Pop) was a warm, kind, generous man who deeply loved his family and, in turn, was loved right back. We'll all miss him.
Visitation is Tuesday from 2-4 and 7-9 PM at Oliverie Funeral Home 2925 Ridgeway Rd, Manchester. Funeral Liturgy is Wednesday 9:15 AM at St. Luke's Catholic Church, Toms River. In lieu of flowers, please make donations in his name to St. Vincent DePaul Society, St. Luke's Church 1674 Old Freehold Rd Toms River, NJ 08755. For directions or to send online condolences, please visit www.oliveriefuneralhome.com.