Obituary of Vera Nelson

Vera Ann Nelson, a resident of Burlington for 56 years, passed away at her home on Saturday afternoon, June 12, 2010, with her family at her bedside. She was 78 years old. Vera was born in Malden and the daughter of the late Joseph and Matilda Rufrano. She grew up and was educated in Malden. She was a graduate of Malden High School. She had an extremely close bond with her sister, Rita to the extent that they married brothers, James and Steve Nelson, purchased homes next to each other, and raised their families together. They spent Saturday afternoons were always set aside to shopping at the Mall together. She was devoted to her husband, children, and grandchildren. She always placed her family’s needs above her own. She had a warm and loving home filled with laughter and excitement. She will be lovingly remembered for the love and kindness she shared with her family and friends. Vera was the beloved wife of the late James D. Nelson. She was the loving mother of David Nelson of Billerica, Linda Newcomb of Acton, Dennis Nelson of Burlington, Diane Nelson of Burlington, James Nelson Jr. of Burlington, Steven Nelson of Billerica and Laurie Sweeney of Burlington. She was the sister of Rita Nelson of Londonderry, NH and the late Anthony Rufrano. She was also survived by 14 grandchildren. Funeral from the Edward V. Sullivan Funeral Home, 43 Winn St., BURLINGTON (Exit 34 off Rt. 128, Woburn side) on Tuesday, June 15 at 9 a.m. Followed by a Mass of Christian Burial in St. Margaret’s Church, 111 Winn St., Burlington at 10 a.m. Visiting hours Monday 4-8 p.m. Interment in Chestnut Hill Cemetery, Burlington. Memorials in Vera’s name may be made to VNA of Middlesex East & Visiting Nurse Hospice, 607 North Ave, Suite 17, Wakefield, MA 01880. Vera Ann Nelson • On February 8, 1932 a beautiful baby girl was born. Her parents, Joseph Rufrano and Matilda Frances Ippolito Rufrano (known affectionately to many of us as Little Tillie Ticklebritches---don’t ask...) were first generation Italian Americans. They named her Vera Ann and she would always be their baby. Vera had a handsome older brother Tony and a lovely older sister, Rita Theresa, with the same warm brown eyes, silky black hair and welcoming smile for which they both would always be known. • Her grandma, Big Nanny (that name was a poser since she was less than 5’ tall) lived upstairs in their two-family home in Malden. Big Nanny would later become famous for her ritual with any child who ventured up the stairs to see her: She would pat you on the head, give you a cookie and send you back downstairs with a string of Italian words that none of us understood. • When Vera was five, Rita loved trailing after her as she struggled to put their dog Mitzi in the baby carriage and wheel her around the yard. Not sure how Mitzi felt about that... • As Vera grew into a beautiful (if sneaky) teenager, having an older sister paid off big time: • She loved to wear her sister’s clothes and put them back in the closet before Rita got home from work--until she got caught when Rita came home early one day. o And when she was 15, Rita introduced Vera to the love of her life, a handsome young sailor named James Downy Nelson, who happened to be the brother of Rita’s husband Steve. o Did you follow that? We Nelsons still confuse everyone with the “two brothers married two sisters” story. o o When the four of them were driving around in Steve’s car, Rita remembers looking in the rearview mirror and seeing Vera and Jim sneaking a kiss, which they would do throughout their 56 years of marriage. o Vera, Jim, Rita, and Steve were joined at the hip. In 1954 they bought side-by-side houses and raised 12 children between them. • Then there was the coffee/tea ritual. Every day for 30 years, Vera would come over to Rita’s for morning coffee and Rita would go to Vera’s for afternoon tea. They never missed a day For some of us, children are our life’s’ work. For Vera, children—hers and others’--were her life. • And two of those children, her granddaughters Amber and Vanessa, will share with you the beautiful tribute that Amber wrote for her nana. • (Vanessa) Vera Nelson was a mother of 7, grandmother of 14 and a great friend and family member to many others. In fact, family time was her favorite time. She dedicated her time to caring for her family, always making us her first priority. She also enjoyed the simple things in life, such as gardening, shopping with her sister Rita, and dancing. She loved to dance with her husband Jim, who she was very much in love with for most of her life since she was 15 years old. The way that the two of them loved each other showed all of us that true love does exist. They were a perfect example of this. (Amber) Two of Vera’s greatest qualities were her patience and genuine kindness. She always had the patience of a saint, which says a lot for someone with as many children and grandchildren as she has! Vera opened her heart and shared her love with everyone around her, making her home feel like home to everyone who spent time there. One great thing about memories is that, even after the loss of a loved one, they stay with us forever. Our family is grateful for the many memories we have with nana and would like to share a few favorites. I’ll start. I remember spending time at nana’s house walking to the brook and playing on the neighbor’s swings with her. I will always remember her natural beauty and selflessness. We’ve talked about how sweet and kind Vera was, but she was no pushover. David remembers that, whenever she didn’t want to talk about something, she’d simply change the subject like you never even brought it up. And that was that. Roberta called her “tele-Vera.” She was so excited to share the news that she couldn’t keep a secret if her life depended on it! Linda and Frank saw first hand that Jim thought Vera could do ANYTHING. One day at Canobie Lake as they were walking out to the parking lot, an unnamed 3 year old couldn’t quite make it to a potty. Jim yelled, “Vera, get her! Stop her!” Even Vera’s magic with children only went so far. When Dennis skipped school, Vera covered for him. Jim would come home for lunch and Dennis would hide in the cellar until Vera told him the coast was clear. Her son-in-law Larry said he never had to deal with the big cliché “dreaded” mother-in-law. From the time when he first met Laurie when he was 15, he would sit at the table and Vera would put a plate of food in front of him—just one of the kids. Jimmy told her recently what a wonderful mother she was and how every kid who came to their house wished that she was their mother too. Stephen remembers that you could always come home to a great meal and sit around the table and talk about your day. Everyone loved Vera’s cooking. Donna and Rich Puleo and Jeannie Galoski, Vera’s neighbor of 45 years all said the same thing about Vera: She never changed. She was beautiful inside and out her whole life through. Kim could always count on Vera the caretaker. She’d be working at the recreation department in 100 degree weather and knew if she went to Vera’s there’d be cold drinks, cold washcloths and lots of sympathy. My brother Bob loved living next door. Going to Vera and Jim’s was like a night out on the town. There was always something happening—a great meal, a Bruin’s game, fun. And of course, Vera was ever the wonderful hostess. All of the Nelsons were in awe of the deep, life-long love, respect and caring that Vera and Jim had for one another. Finally, Diane remembers that, after 56 years of marriage, right before he died, Jim kissed Vera over and over and told her, “I could kiss you all day long.” I know all of you have special memories of Vera and hope you will share them with the family in the coming months. Every time we are together, I feel like I belong and come away feeling loved and blessed to have all of you in my life. David & Roberta, Linda & Frank, Dennis, Diane, Jimmy, Steve and Sherry, Laurie and Larry and your families, know that, as we say goodbye to our beloved Little Vera Annie, the next door Nelsons and our families will be by your side and hope to fill up your spirits just as you have done for us throughout the years. And Little Vera Annie, while we’ll cry a million tears and our hearts will ache with missing you, we’ll picture you and Jim sitting on a couch somewhere, with your leg draped over his, him tickling your feet and you scratching his back, falling asleep together, just like you did every night—and smile.