Nicholas J. Colacino

Nicholas Joseph Colacino died peacefully in his sleep January 19, 2009 at ManorCare Health Services in West Des Moines, where he has resided the past two years. His children, Julie (Colacino) and Denny Mitchell, Tony Colacino and Nicholette Colacino were with him. Death was attributed to complications of Alzheimer’s disease. He was 85.
Nick was a life-long resident of Des Moines, an Army Air Corps veteran of World War II, a member of the Society of Italian Americans, and a proud member of St. Anthony’s class of ’36. Nick was known around ManorCare for his Notre Dame garb, the school from which seven of his grandchildren graduated. Before his retirement, Nick operated Colacino’s Restaurant on Ingersoll Avenue. After retiring he could regularly be found holding court at South Ridge Mall, where he was a faithful mall walker.
Nick is survived by his three children, eight grandchildren, Jana (John Murphy), Tina, and Nick Colacino and Corie (Toby) (Colacino) Shupe, and Brian (Kelly), Kevin (Sarah), Patrick (Amber) and Matthew Mitchell; ten great-grandchildren (Claire, Molly and Bridget Mitchell, J.T. and Luke Mitchell, Nicholas Mitchell, Elena and Evelyn Murphy, and Max and Julia Shupe); his sisters Theresa Colacino and Mary Severino, and his brother Sam Colacino. Nick was preceded in death by his wife Janice (Olson), his brother Pete Colacino of San Diego, and his parents Antonio and Julia (Leonetti) Colacino.
A Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated at 10:30 a.m. Saturday, January 24, 2009 at St. Anthony’s Catholic Church, 15 Indianola Road in Des Moines, where Nick was baptized almost 85 years ago. Burial will follow at Glendale Cemetery. A prayer vigil will take place Friday evening, January 23, 2009 at 7:00 p.m. at Hamilton’s Southtown Funeral Home, 5400 S.W. Ninth Street, where the family will receive visitors from 4:00 to 8:00 p.m.
Memorial contributions in Nick’s name may be made to St. Anthony’s Catholic Church Foundation or the Scholarship Fund of the Notre Dame Club of Des Moines.
www.HamiltonsFuneralHome.com

Print