Nicholas J. Pari, 98, of Greenville, Rhode Island, passed away on April 23, 2026, in Providence.
Nick shared 71 years of marriage with his beloved wife, Gloria E. (Barnds) Pari, until her passing in 2025. Together they built a life rooted in family and enduring love. Nick and Gloria raised their family in the Mount Pleasant neighborhood of Providence and later in North Providence. As empty nesters, they made their home in Johnston, where they lived for 35 years. Following Gloria’s Alzheimer’s diagnosis in 2018, Nick became her devoted and constant caregiver.
Nicholas worked as a cartographer for the Department of Defense at The Army Map Service in West Warwick. Outside of his career, he was a member at Triggs Golf Course. Nick was an accomplished golfer. Nick was the President of Scenic View Condominiums in Johnston for 34 years.
He is survived by his daughter, Sheila Chisholm and her husband, Glenn, of Lincoln, Rhode Island; and his son, Richard Pari and his wife, Christina, of Unicoi, Tennessee. He also leaves behind his cherished grandchildren: “Little” Richard Pari and his wife, Brianna, of Johnston, Rhode Island; Nicholas Chisholm of Cambridge, Massachusetts; and Jessica Norton and her husband, Kyle, of Fayetteville, North Carolina.
Nick was also the proud great-grandfather of Matteo Pari and Antonio Sanchez, both of Johnston, Rhode Island.
Services were private.
Eulogy for My Daddy
Everyone knows about the special bond between fathers and daughters. My father forged this golden bond every day of my life. My mother used to refer to my grandfather …(Papa)… as a “Prince” of a Man. She dearly loved her father-in-law. It is not a stretch to say that my dad inherited the “prince” gene. As a dad, he was even superior to my perfect mother, sometimes. He could never stick to the duration of any punishment I was to serve.
When I was 4 years old, I had been enrolled at Bell Street Nursery School on Federal Hill. By day three, I could not endure it any longer. I told him the food smelled horrible, and the nuns make the kids take naps. I started to cry when I saw the iron gates in front of the school slowly open. Dad immediately turned the car around, and took me straight home to my mother. I never, ever went back to Bell Street Nursery School.
Dad was just perfect to snuggle up with on the couch while I watched TV in the den of our Cape Cod home. It was our first home after leaving Grandma and Papa’s house. I was eight years old.
When I was about nine years old, one of dad’s work associates died. I overheard the conversation. That daddy left two little girls. When my dad showed up on the couch for TV, I snuggled and sobbed. I could not imagine the two little girls carrying on without their daddy. He just held me and let me cry. When my mother appeared in the doorway with a quizzical look, Dad just said, “She heard us talking.”
Throughout my whole life, dad was there to minimize any concern or problem. Sometimes the help was delivered at loud decibels like when I was taking Algebra One in grade 7. Math homework was my living nightmare. Dad helped every night. He would work himself into a screaming frenzy because I was just a math ditz. I still remember him saying… or was it yelling?… “What you do to one side of the equation, you must do to the other side of the equation” I did start quarter 1 with a solid D in algebra and brought it up to a solid B by years end! I guess I finally heard dad.
More serious problems were always dealt with at much softer decibels and lots of reassurance. The bigger the problem, the softer the decibels.
My brother Richard cannot be here today. He has several health challenges that do not allow him to travel at this time. He would agree whole heartedly that loud decibels went with the most correctable naughty behavior, and soft decibels went with big problems. My brother NEVER, NEVER served out a punishment. If anything, he giggled at mom and dad when these punishments were announced. He knew how soft hearted they really were. I thought Ricky was a brat!
Ricky loved owning a new bike. Each “bike of the year” met with its demise at the hands of my calculating brother. Ricky used to arrange to have his “old” bike stolen. I could soft-pedal it and say Ricky gave bikes away to a deserving kids! Dad always bought Ricky the next new bike, few questions asked.
Under dad’s wing, my brother became an excellent golfer. Dad took Ricky to Trigg's Memorial Golf Course to introduce him to the sport around age nine. Ricky would walk the course with dad….. all 18 holes. Dad let him hit the ball here and there and putt on the green sometimes. Ricky had the aptitude. By about age 13, three dads and three sons had a group, and they played golf together.
Dad and Ricky were a good team. Soon enough, they won a trophy together in 1979. Rick went on to be an accomplished golfer in High School and into adulthood. This is Richard’s legacy from dad. Dad’s great grandson, Mateo, is developing into a very good golfer. The legacy continues.
I never handed in an essay in high school or in college without dad proofreading what I thought was the perfect finished product. I admit there was never an essay that Dad did not offer a suggestion for improvement. It was absolutely maddening. However, I became an
effective communicator thanks to him. I have used this skill in so many different ways. It is my legacy from Dad.
My son, Nicholas, inherited Papa’s keen problem solving and mathematical mind. My daughter, Jessica, inherited Papa’s soft heart. She was double dosed by my mom and my dad. Both of my children are effective writers because it was my mission to pass on that legacy.
My dad worked as a supervising cartographer for the Department of Defense. In 1978, Dad encouraged my husband, Glenn to apply to Defense Mapping. The cartography work was Glenn’s favorite 9 years out of his 34 year career working for the the DOD. Sadly, the Army Map Service was closed in 1987 and Glenn moved on to a different DOD agency.
My dad helped everyone … family members, neighbors, and fellow residents at Scenic View Condominiums. Beyond this, Dad had a knack for making people feel welcome, at ease, and special.
Nicky was in love with my mother Gloria from the moment he met her. She became his world. She spoiled him their entire marriage to the point that his catch phrase became “What else do I have coming?” This was usually after a 3 course meal when he was still looking for deserts and snacks.
Gloria completely understood his heart, and her goal was to keep him happy. This was mutual; Nick was only content when Gloria was happy. Their world consisted of each other, home, and family.
Supporting and Loving …Devotion and Dedication… are the words that describe the last years of my dad’s life. When my mother’s Alzheimer’s brought her to Chapel Hill, dad spent every free moment with Gloria in her room in the Memory Care Unit. When the opportunity presented itself, Nick and Gloria moved to Stillwater Assisted Living because they could finally be together in the same 2 bedroom apartment in Memory Lane. Dad never left Gloria’s side.
Nick was her helper and her protector even though Gloria did not remember exactly who he was. Dad made his peace with that reality. He actually would laugh about the fact that Gloria thought he was Nick Pari, the boyfriend. The other guy, also called Nick Pari, was her husband. That husband was banished because of all the women who were lined up waiting for him. Gloria saw these wicked women with her own eyes, and she was not going to put up with that situation.
It is impossible to sum up dad’s 98 years and three months here on earth. I know Gloria is waiting for him in heaven. Dad has missed his honey every day that she has been gone. Dad always put on a brave front when Glenn and I or friends would visit. I was selfish, and I hoped to keep Dad a bit longer. The truth is Daddy will finally be happy again when he is reunited with Gloria in heaven. Maybe the angels will have some special assignments for the two of them. I know Nick and Gloria will continue to watch over their beloved family, forever.