Nick M. Mariani died of prostate cancer in Reedsport, Oregon, on
Nov. 13, 2004.
Nick M. Mariani died of prostate cancer in Reedsport, Oregon, on Nov. 13, 2004.
Nick was born on Feb. 22, 1929, in Komiza, Dalmatia, in what is now the Republic of Croatia, and immigrated with his family to the United States in 1935 at the age of 6. A former Cupertino and Morgan Hill resident, he was at various times a farmer, teacher, counselor and restauranteur.
He attended local high schools (Live Oak and Fremont) where he excelled in sports, particularly basketball, and graduated from Fremont High School in 1947. He served in the U.S. Army at Fort Ord during the Korean conflict. In 1957 he received a degree in Business Administration from San Jose State University. From 1957-65 he operated Mariani Orchards, a family-owned business in Morgan Hill, where he grew apricots, cherries and prunes. In the 1960s, he also worked as a teacher/counselor at the James Boys Ranch and later as a teacher at Quimby Oak School in San Jose.
Nick owned and operated The Villa Restaurant. He retired in 1993 and moved to Gold Bar, Wash., where he continued to be involved in real estate and land development. He was a member of the Croation Fraternal Union of America and teachers’ and farmers’ professional organizations.
His sense of humor and fun-loving spirit will be dearly missed by family and friends.
He is survived by his wife, Jackie Shupe, whom he married in 1958; daughters Simi (and Greg) Hoover of Reedsport, Tori (and Chuck) Combs of Redding and Heidi (and Jeff) Barberio of Pittsburg; grandchildren Lea, A.J., Robyn, P.J., Brandyn, Rejena and Nicholas; sister Victoria (and Sam); brother Mitch (and Dede) Mariani and Andy, all of Morgan Hill; cousins Sonja (Mariani) Porter of Carmichael, Nick J. Mariani of San Pedro and Arlene (Mariani) Kielbasa of Palos Verdes Estates; along with numerous nieces, nephews, great-nieces and great-nephews.
In 1967 he married Louise Williams and leaves behind her and their son, Nick Mariani Jr., of Morgan Hill.
Memorial Mass takes place at 2:30pm today, Nov. 20, at St. Catherine’s Church.
The family asks that any donations be made to Lower Umpqua Hospice, 600 Ranch Road, Reedsport, Oregon, 97467.
