and
from his many friends, too
By Tom Avenengo
I’m
going to take you back to November 3, 2007.
On that date, a Memorial Service was held for Nofri
(Nick) Fornoro, Sr. at the Church of the Savior, in
Nick
was born on October 23, 1920 and passed away on September 27, 2007.
For
those of you that did not know, Nick was the American Racing Drivers Club
(ARDC) driving champion in 1950, and he was the first NASCAR Midget driving
champion in 1953. After retiring, he
went on to be one of the best starters (flaggers) ever, starting out here in
the Northeast and eventually ending up as the flagger for two hundred
consecutive Championship Auto Racing Teams Indy Car Series races, serving in
that position from 1979 to 1992. In 1993 he was the honorary starter for the
As
I read what people had written about Nick, to those in attendance that day, I
thought that it was a shame that others, not in attendance, would miss out on
what people had to say about their husband, father, grandfather, uncle and good
friend. Nick was a “friend” to countless
thousands of people. I thought it would
be nice for them to read what others thought, so, here is what was said (in
writing) about Nick, by twelve family members and by sixty three close
friends. So, please sit back, relax,
read and enjoy!
Nofri, my husband, was a kind, generous, compassionate, loving husband. We had a good strong marriage of some 59
years. Everyone that knew him,
respected, honored and loved him. What I
remember most about Nofri was him telling everyone
that “My wife, Bette is the love of my life and she always was. Without her, I would be lost” Rest in Heaven with
all your family and friends. That by
Elizabeth (Bette) Fornoro
I
remember when we lived near the church.
My brother was always getting dressed up. I would say, “Who are you going out with
tonight?” As he was running down the
stairs, he would have this grin on his face looking at me. My brother had a good heart, loved everybody,
got along with everybody. Nof had a good life and I have great memories of us.
– his sister, Connie Abdalla
My
dad was a very loving and caring man. He
was always concerned about his family and friends and wanted to make sure that
they were always happy and never “wanting” for anything. There are two things that I will remember the
most about him. One is when I was a
little girl – he would come into my bedroom at night and rub his five o’clock
shadow on my cheek and nibble at my earlobe and say “I love you doll.” The other one was after I had moved out of
the house and was getting ready to leave, he would ALWAYS say “Do you need
anything?”.
Those words meant so much to me.
The only thing I ever needed was his love, which he gave me every minute
of every day of his life. Dad, I miss
you and love you very much and I will see you in Heaven.
– his daughter, Cindee Lee Bertling
MY PePa – MY FRIEND
By
my side, he always held me up. As I
learned to walk, he opened his arms for me to run to. When I learned to talk, he was one of the
first people I thought of … And out came the name PePa.
A name as unique as the man whom it described. PePa was one of a
kind. His heart was so big, I often wondered how he could hold so much love
inside. Love for his family, love for
his friends, love for every animal that ever took an interest in him, love for
his fellow man and the tremendous love he had for racing. How?
How is it possible to hold this much love in your heart? I would ask myself this over and over again …
until … when I finally grew up, I realized… I also have this much love in my
heart.
Love
for my family, my friends, all animals everywhere, and for racing, too. I realize now that this tremendous love I
have for those around me… is my gift, my gift from my PePa.
Only
in his presence did I ever feel completely loved and at peace with myself. Now that he is gone, I struggle to find that
peace within.. all I feel is
emptiness and sadness… and anger!
I
am angry that God took him away from me!
I wasn’t ready to let him go yet…
There were still things I wanted to do with him, things I wanted to say
to him… so many things… but… then I remembered all those times we spent
together when I was growing up… playing hide and seek with him in the
back yard, helping him feed the birds, squirrels, cats and all the other strays
that made their way to his door…
Eating
dinner with him at the table and listening to his many funny stories – that he never seemed to run out of, or forget…
Watching
him flag the races, especially at Pine Brook – when my dad and uncle Drew were racing… just below his watchful eye.
I
always felt better when PePa was flagging because I
knew he would keep my dad and uncle safe… he always did his best to keep
everyone on the track safe when he was in charge.
And
my wedding day… when he put both his hands on either side of my face, pulled me
close to him, and said, “Jessica, I am so proud of you and I love you so
much. May God bless you always”, then he
kissed me on the lips as tears of happiness ran down his face. That… is the memory I will hold closest to my
heart.
PePa has joined my granddaddy now.
They are my two guardian angels watching over me always and keeping me
safe…
Thank
you PePa, for holding on long enough for me to spend
time with you before you left us… I hope you know that you were never alone…
You remained surrounded by family and friends the whole time you slept… until
you woke up again – in heaven.
You
were my dearest friend and you will always be my hero. I tis because of
you that I learned to love… but like you, I will never let-go or forget those
whom I’ve lost.
I
love you PePa.
Thank you for teaching me how.
– his granddaughter, Jessica Lee Fornoro.
He
was a loving grandfather who wanted nothing but the best for people he cared
about. He treated everyone he met like
family, and there was never a bad word to say against him. I am glad I got to spend so much time with
him in my life. He will be truly missed.
– his granddaughter, Tara Lee Bertling
In
loving memory: PePa
was a loving and caring man as everyone that met him knew as soon as they spoke
to him. He was always willing to hear
your problems, I will miss that the most.
– his grandson, JJ Bertling
What
I have to say about my PePa is that he was always so
happy to see me and the family, whether it was just my immediate family or the
entire family. Whenever he would see me
he would always say “Eey Boy”, “Eey
Boy how ya doin?” He would have such a big smile as he hugged
and kissed me, then moved on to the next one of us
boys. Or whenever he would see me eating
he would put his face on, one of absolute awe,… and
say “you eating again?” Because whenever
he would see me at the races or any other time I was always eating something or
just finishing eating. But one thing that will always
stick the most in my mind is that when he came with me and my family to the
races for the last time. And on our way
to the races we stopped at the Golden Sakura Japanese restaurant. He asked me what I was doing for work and I
told him I was working as an electricians
apprentice. He says “that’s a really
good line of work, a good trade and I should stick with it. It will take care of you.” He was looking out for my future because he
knew his time was coming soon. The way
he said it to me was so inspirational.
And from that point on, I knew one thing for sure… he loved me so much
and it seemed to me like he was trying to guide me towards a good life and
future. And I grew to like the trade and
got comfortable with the work more and more.
I know he loved me and was always trying to guide me and his family
towards the right path. He was a real
family man.
– his grandson, Lanson Fornoro
My PePa was the greatest man alive. I will never forget when my whole family went
to Seekonk and PePa woke up in the camper because we
were too loud. He had such a good
time. The family and I just felt so
happy to have my PePa with us. I remember walking him around and he said to
me “I love you, and don’t forget that!”
After the race we packed up and were on our way home and I put my head
on his lap. He started to rub my head
and I fell asleep and I felt so happy he was with us. When I woke up we were at PePa’s
house. I miss him very much and I know
hi is with me, and my heart and always will be.
- his grandson, Jarett Fornoro
What
can I say that hasn’t already been said. Nick was a good man who cared about others, he always gave good advice whether it be about
racing or life in general. He was a good
father-in-law who always treated me with respect, what more could you ask
for. He will be missed by many.
– his son-in-law, Jack Bertling
My
memories are so many with him. Telling
some within my list are my sons having a grandfather named PePa. Visiting our home, sleep overs,
feeding Chanel our bird, giving ice cream cones for snacks to Abuala and Lugasi our goats. Giving words of wisdom, spending quality time
with us whether it was a holiday, gathering, family barbecue or much more. Especially the travels we had in the van,
laughing till our stomachs were aching while he told jokes and stories. Eating out, sharing a hotel room telling me
to turn off the air conditioner. I would
say “I have hot flashes, you know”, and laugh.
He would put his long johns on, then his pajamas, kiss everyone and I
would tuck him in with the covers up to his neck. I think our most precious memory of him will
always be our last trip in mid August to Seekonk Speedway. Seeing friends, being with his family,
watching racing, staying up partying with the gang at Seekonk until 7 AM for
his last trip. Going back to the hotel
saying I’m not gonna tell Bette I stayed up all day
and all night until the next morning.
Then going to bed at 8AM he couldn’t believe it. What a great time we had laughing about it
getting undressed to rest for a few hours.
Then getting brunch, heading home he definitely was and will always be “King Fornoro”, sitting in the
front seat being called PePa or my co-pilot. When I or Nokie was
driving he would ask “Are you ok driving?”
Once we got him home, we all kissed him and hugged him, I gave him a
chocolate bar, as I always did. This
glow came over his face, I stuck the candy in his shirt pocket and he moved it
to his pants pocket. A smile as he
whispered “I’ll hide this behind my trophies or way under the bed, Bette won’t
find it she won’t look there!” That’s
what he thought. I’m sure mom was wise
to us about the chocolate but I didn’t tell him. There are not enough words, love or time to
describe my father-in-law. Who’s name to me was Nick, then became dad! These last few years seeing me he called me
“My Angel.” Greeting me with a big
smile, tears of joy in his eyes, his arms just like wings spreading over me,
giving me a warm tight hug which we both embraced, then
a gentle kiss on our lips. Feeling this
loving sensation from him every time we saw each other, it was mutual. Not knowing all this time the reason for my
nickname he gave me. Not until holding
his hand, caressing his heart till his last breath of life, leaving our world
with my arms embracing him and one last gentle kiss goodbye, did it really hit
me with the words I heard in my mind for the last time “My Angel.” As I do believe in “Angels” and that they are always watching over us, sending their love
through others, caring, sharing their emotions among the living. Trying to bring loved ones together,
protecting all we have within a family to preserve and pass on many traditions
and stories. Which in
my case I’ve already had for “Angels” looking my way touching me in every sense
of the word. By saving my sons
life – Nofri the III, which I was proud to honor him
by giving him his name and I’m thankful for that everyday! Sending dad to the hospital following along
with mom, family and friends visiting, family staying at different times, then
saying their last goodbyes however they could.
Being with him sharing his last moments was meant to be for me. For myself believing in his spirit as
becoming my fifth “Angel” to channel the ways of “Angels.”. Giving me strength of emotions and those of
Nick Sr’s couldn’t begin to understand or feel what
this nickname has in store for me. I
wrote a poem for dad, read it at his retirement party October 1992. We really connected. Another poem I found is a reading in spirit
of a new Angel, Nofri “Nick” Samuel Fornoro, Sr., “PePa” this touches
the heart.
“To Those I Love”
When
I am gone, just release me, let me go – so I can move
into my afterglow.
You
mustn’t tie me down with your tears; lets be happy that we had so many years
I
gave you my love, you can only guess how much you gave
me in happiness.
I
thank you for the love you each have shown,
But
now it’s time I traveled alone.
So
grieve for me awhile, if grieve you must,
Then
let your grief be comforted with trust.
It’s
only for a while that we must part,
So
bless the memories within your heart.
And
then, when you must come this way alone,
I’ll
greet you with a smile and a “Welcome home.”
I
will miss you, your love is within my heart and
soul. I will always try my best to live
up to your nickname you gave me, “My Angel.”
– his daughter-in-law, Deborah Fornoro
Nicky
was the kindest most gentle man I have ever
known. He loved his family and he loved
my sister and me as if we were his own children. I am so glad that we were able to visit with
Nicky and Bette this past summer. My
funniest memory is sitting a the dining room table as Nicky was eating a
dandelion salad, hesitated on another bite, and low and behold there was a
small live worm. He casually scooped it
out, placed it along side his bowl and continued to eat. As children, my sister and I, of course, were
horrified.
- his niece, Beth McLaurin-Smith
My
Uncle Nick was one of the most loving and happiest men I’ve ever known. I never saw him angry or upset. His love for racing was always evident, but
his love for his family was just as strong.
My last visit with him, in July, only reiterated how happy he was and
how much meaning his family brought into his life. I have only the fondest memories of him, and
will truly miss him. One of the funniest
times spent with Nicky was during one of the Fornoro
visits to
- his niece, Margaret McLaurin.
And here is what some racing friends, and family friends, had to say about Nick after he left us.
Mrs.
Irene Vendetti – He was a gentleman and a gentle man.
Dr.
Rose and Dr. Joe Mattioli – Nick never had an
enemy. We have many beautiful memories
of a beautiful man.
“Crocky” Wright – Nicky was one of my oldest friends in auto
racing.
Ace
Lane – He was my second father and dear friend.
Joanne
Jaeger – Anytime you felt you were having a miserable day, he would have his
own special way to cheer us up at Dr. Philip Santiago’s office.
Dr.
Catherine Duncan – I always remember how no matter what kind of day Nofri was having, he would smile and reach out his arms
when he saw your face. I will never
forget how he taught me to acknowledge the strength I had with him, to always
have faith and to never give up on yourself and what you truly believe in.
Kim
Mathison – Nofri had the
incredible ability to walk into a room and make everybody in it smile. He was the type of person that would make a
lasting impression on you after spending just a couple of moments together. No matter what the day brought, seeing Nofri would make everything brighter. I will never forget the way he would greet me
every time I saw him with a big warm hello and a kiss on the hand. The only way a true gentleman would greet
someone. This is the type of person who
will never, ever be forgotten. Nofri will forever be in our hearts, as his beautiful
spirit will always be remembered.
Anna
Barnes – Nick was a wonderful friend and will always be remembered as a
wonderful influence in this world.
Michele
(Mattioli) Kulick – Nick
had a wonderful life, family and racing career.
Lillan Jenson – Good times in racing.
Billy
Kamphausen – I am sorry to hear about the loss of
such a “Great Man”.
Jack
Arute – May Nick and my dad spend some quality time
together now comparing notes about the “Good Old Days”! May he rest in peace.
Pam
and Earl Krause – He was a wonderful gentleman.
A person that we considered a true friend and
inspiration in our life.
Bob
Jenkins – I have very fond memories of him.
God bless you and all the family.
Bones
Bourcier – Ol’ Nick was certainly
of the good guys, a smiling link between grassroots Midget racing and Indy
cars, bridging the cultural gap between joints like
Mike
Lloyd – One of my favorites was always Nick Fornoro,
Sr. In my opinion, any story about Nick Fornoro is a story worth telling. The racing world will miss you, Nick Fornoro, a Champion on and off the track.
Tom
Avenengo – Nick was always a warm caring man, driver
and flagger. He had a lot of love for
his fellow man. Nick confided in me,
with tears in his eyes, about Nick, Jr. and Drew never having made it to the
Indy 500 as drivers. He did carry that
sadness, in his heart, with him to his grave.
But that was only one dream – he did live his other – by flagging the
1993 Indy 500 and an Honorary Starter.
As Nick said to me on more than one occasion: “Thank you for being my friend and may God bless you”.
That I will cherish, always.
Stephen
Grant – I spent four hours with the most famous starter in the world. That meant a lot to me being a starter
myself. Hanging out at
his last Seekonk race. Racing has
lost a part of history.
Dave
Humphrey – We go back many years, I lost a good friend, we had a lot in common,
friends, wives and reminiscing about the good ol’
days together the whole day at Seekonk Speedway with his family and everyone
there.
Jennifer
Scrivani – I remember Nick who I called “PePod” at his last race at Seekonk Speedway. Everyone there had the best and greatest time
ever. Back at the
campgrounds, staying up until 7:30 AM having fun, eating watching the gang
dancing and reminiscing with all.
Especially Mrs. Vendetti,
Miss Ellie Seymour and Dave Humphrey sitting next to each other watching his
son race with pride – with an ecstatic flow on his face.
All
the Iron Workers – As an Iron Worker, Nick was someone you could always look
forward to working with. He worked hard,
was respectful, always did more than his fair share of
the work and always without complaining.
He was the type of conscientious man that is missing in today’s
workforce. His Union Brothers will miss
him very much.
Sean
and Brian Hogan – Nick – Thank you for being a great neighbor and friend for
the last 46 years. Every time we had a
chance to hang out was a great memory for us.
We love you. We’ll miss you.
We’ll never forget you.
Jon,
Jenn, Samantha, Matthew and Emily – We started out as
neighbors 9 years ago, but quickly turned into family. To our kids, Nick was the grandpa they could
see each and every day! He always made
time to come over for a hug and a kiss – even though he was always busy working
on the lawn, fixing his car, or hanging up holiday decorations with Bette. Whether we were celebrating our November
wedding anniversaries together at Hunam Taste, where
Nick was treated lie the Mayor, or spending time at
the kids birthday parties, Nick always marched home in search of his bologna
sandwich! Nick was a wonderful friend
and the best neighbor. He always
said: “Take what you need, anytime you
want” and we were blessed to get o take so many great memories with a man we
all loved very much. We will all miss
you very much.
Frank
Orsillo, Sr. – A few things to remember about Nick: The first thing – if you couldn’t get along
with Nick then you sure were going to have a problem getting along with
anyone. He was that kind of a guy. Mostly all of us were kind of young – that is
the guys I palled around with when Nick started driving midgets. I first met him at Hinchliffe
Stadium, in
Frank
Orsillo, Jr. – I have known Nick since I was a young
boy. My father introduced me to
him. Nick was a very wonderful man and
we are all going to miss him very much.
I could remember, as a young child, Nick would stop over to see my
parents two to three times a week. He
would talk to us about racing since my family and I are very into the
sport. He was just a great guy who mad
everyone always laugh and feel good. I was very fortunate to get closer to Nick
since I built my home right behind him.
I know one thing that is that I was very blessed to have had such a
special person in my life and I am going to miss him very much. He will always hold a very special place in
my heart. God bless you, Nick.
Reverend
Philip DeRea – Nick is a great loss to us all.
Jim
Swimtal – He was a master storyteller and observer of
human nature.
Joe
and Barbara Ernesto – He was a great man who always made time to talk to us
when we were around.
Doug
Wolfgang – Nick was a great guy who was always very nice to me, even when I was
the new guy on the block.
Ciddi Cinelly – I feel so very blessed to have
known him for so many years.
Dick
Berggren – He had a wonderful, warm smile that matched his personality. He was
a great guy, a real credit to the sport of racing.
Dianne
and John Ellis – The world truly will be different without his beautiful
presence.
Steve
Potter – The world and our sport are poorer for this passing, but richer for
his having been here.
The
Linda
Mansfield – He was one of the friendliest men I ever met. It was always a treat to see that twinkle in
his eye.
Bobby
Stoll – He taught me how to flag. He
will be missed by so many.
Wally
and Peppy Dallenback – Nick was such a dear friend
and we all had some great times.
Noran and George Feli – Goodbye to our second father. We loved Uncle Nick.
The Allen family – A wonderful friendship and racing memories.
The
Dittmeiers – Nick would say: “Thank you for the love and friendship”.
The
Grawehr family – We have great racing memories.
Pietro Baio – Nofri
always called me Paisono. He’ll be flagging the races at the Golden
Speedway.
Joseph
Saleem, Jr. – Nick has been my hero for 50
years. He will always be that and so
much more to me. Nick set my racing life
into motion, showed me how to live it with grace and dignity, and to always be
kind to everyone.
Greg
and Annie Passauer – He was a dear man, we all loved
him.
Albert
Nystrand – Nick was a good friend and had good jokes.
Monnie Jr., Marin, Monnie, III and Tonya Wonder –
He was a fine gentleman.
Bruce
Parmelee – I was a big fan of Nicks driving in USAC
and flagging.
Warren
and Rosemarie Alston – He was a mentor for me growing up. All of the techniques Nick taught me I still
use today whenever I flag a race.
Gina
Capitummino – When I think of Nick, it’s beautiful memories.
Maryellen
and Kenny – We will miss seeing him outside doing the yard work or just
puttering around. We will miss him very
much.
Dan
and Evi Gurney and family – the AAR Racing Team –
Nicky had a big heart.
Neal
and Barbara Carter – He was a great guy and a close friend. He had my greatest respect as a driver and
person.
Lenny
and Gail Terry – Nick was a wonderful and funny man.
Ann
Miller – Nick was a good friend
Carol
and Jack Capor – We will miss a good friend and the
fun we had at the races.
Rest in peace, Nick.
Nofri (Nick) Fornoro - October 23, 1920 - September 27, 2007