Nancy Ann (Palladino) Guisti, 74, of Waterbury, passed away peacefully on Sunday, December 15, 2024 at St. Francis Hospital in Hartford, with her family by her side. She was the beloved wife of Gregory G. Guisti for fifty years.
Nancy was born in Waterbury, CT on September 15, 1950, a daughter of the late Anthony and Helen (Kruse) Palladino. She was a graduate Wilby High School. Nancy and Gregory were married for fifty years and first knew each other in grammar school. She always found time for others, having volunteered at her children’s grammar school through the PTO. Being a girl scout leader, Nancy led her troop on one week camping trips every summer. She was a second mom to all her children’s friends who lovingly called her “Mama Juice”. Nancy had a big heart and did whatever necessary to get things done. After her busy day with her children’s activities, she took on second shift jobs for extra income for the family. One of her more favorite jobs was waitressing at the Lakewood Bowling Lanes where her outstanding personality and warm smile made her a favorite that bowlers would look forward to seeing every week, having worked there for over fifteen years. Her husband knew that without Nancy he would not be able to pursue the career he had, and he knew who the real CEO of the Guisti household was.
Nancy had many interests, with a love for the music of Neil Diamond, John Denver and Toby Keith, just to name a few. She loved old movies and was a romantic at heart. She loved TV series that represented strong family values or good acting in a mystery. She loved BBC TV, especially the country side in the scenes. Every evening from 7-8pm, with Gregory, was reserved for Jeopardy and Wheel. She was the Jeopardy champion of the Guisti household. Having a remarkable memory, Nancy was able to take tidbits from current events and recite them to make her point. She also loved camping, and as her children were growing up, she would camp with the family for three weeks at Hammonasset State Park, and then another two weeks in Old Orchard Beach, Maine. It was at OOB that she and her husband invested in beach side property that would become a routine summer vacation home for over twenty years. In the winter, she and her husband would spend a month in Sint Maarten, that continued for twnety years. She was an avid UConn fan – football, men’s and women basketball, as well as the New York Yankees.
Traditions were important to Nancy. She loved the holidays where she got to showcase her cooking and baking skills, particularly her speciality, Italian tomato sauce, pies and Italian cookies. Making her sauce was an all day affair starting with the meats and simmering them in her tomato sauce all day. That sauce over a bed of pasta was the highlight of any dinner the family had. For Easter, Nancy would bake her pizzagaina and apple pies, and then organize the egg hunt for the children and thereafter the grandchildren. For Halloween, she decorated the outside of the house and dressed up to give candy out to the neighborhood. At Thanksgiving, preparing the dinner started days before with her pumpkin and apple pies, followed by the stuffing for the turkey that was slowed baked and basted throughout the night before. On Christmas, it started with the baking of trays and trays of her cookies she started weeks before and would share not only with the family but with her bowlers at the lanes. Then the annual trek to cut down the tree, followed by decorating it, and hosting Christmas day with a gourmet dinner, is a tradition that has now been passed on. New Year’s were quietly spent with Gregory at home with dinner and together staying up to watch the ball drop from Times Square.
She will be greatly missed. Besides her husband, Gregory of Waterbury, Nancy leaves her children, Christofer Guisti and his wife, Rachel of Norwich, CT, Carey Bellagamba and her husband Brian of Watertown, CT, Chad Guisti and his wife, Kate of Woodbury, CT, her eight loving grandchildren, Olivia Grella, Julianna Bellagamba, Maia Guisti, Evan Guisti, Reed Guisti, Mila Desjardins, Jace Guisti and Jalen Guisti, sister, Audre Capaldo of Woodbury, CT her niece, Darla Lank and her husband, Ken of Vero Beach, FL, and her sister-in-law, Gale Ciavarella and her husband Rocco of Waterbury. She was predeceased by her brother, Nicholas Palladino and nephew, Mark Capaldo.
Arrangements: Nancy’s funeral will be held on Friday, December 20, 2024 at 9:00 a.m. from Chase Parkway Memorial/The Albini Family Funeral Home, 430 Chase Parkway, Waterbury, CT to St. Michael’s Church for a Mass of Christian Burial at 10:00 a.m. Burial will follow in Calvary Cemetery. Calling hours will be held on Thursday evening from 5:00 – 7:00 p.m. at the funeral home.
In lieu of flowers, memorial donations in Nancy’s memory may be made to:
Tunnel to Towers Foundation
Disabled American Veterans
