Farewell to Nicola Matteo Ciavarella, a man of vision and courage

By Anna Foschi

Nicola (Nick) Matteo Ciavarella was born in San Marco in Lamis, province of Foggia and lived there till the age of seven when his family immigrated to Toronto. Nick completed his undergraduate and graduate studies at the University of Windsor and the University of British Columbia.
He moved from Toronto to Vancouver in the late 60’s and worked as an instructor at Langara College in the psichology department.
Nick was a man with many broad interests.
He was blessed with a mind and a soul that were wide open to curiosity and passion.
As a child, he spoke his native San Marchese dialect but soon he learned to master English and Italian.
Nick was a poet, a writer and an accomplished classical guitar and recorder player. He sang in the Italian Choir and was actively involved with the Italian Cultural Centre. He was a member of the Association of Italian-Canadian Writers and a past president of the National Congress of Italian-Canadians.
On December 22, 2019, Nicola Matteo Ciavarella passed away at the age of 76 after a long battle with Parkinson’s disease.
The illness never prevented him from living a full life and sharing the gift of his knowledge. Nick was a great inspiration, a principled, generous man. He was a family man, an educator and a man of integrity.
I had the honour and good fortune of working with him for the advancement of the Association of Italian-Canadian Writers and before that, when we both were sitting on the NCIC Executive. Farewell, Nick, your legacy will live on. (Photos courtesy of the Ciavarella Family and Dignity Memorial)

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