Obituary: Olelia Nori Blanchard, 101, Of Naugatuck

Information via Hodges Funeral at Naples Memorial Gardens

Olelia Nori Blanchard, 101, passed away peacefully on December 24, 2023, at Avow Hospice in Naples, Florida. She was the daughter of the late Arnold Nori and Stella (Tombari) Nori.

Her Husband, Cyrus J. Blanchard, of Manchester, CT, predeceased her in 1993.

Born on Friday, January 13, 1922, in a bedroom in Derby, Connecticut, Lee began her life auspiciously as a mirror cracked during her birth. She was the oldest of three siblings, with her brother Arnold (Babe) and then John filling out the household. The three siblings were deeply committed to each other, and that strong, life-long familial bond with her brothers influenced her life.

After graduating from Naugatuck High School in 1939 at seventeen, she enrolled at Pratt Institute School of Design in Brooklyn, New York. There, she began studying for a career in fashion design. At Pratt Institute, she learned how to design, create patterns, and cut and sew fabric to make dresses. This skill and artistic ability enabled her to work for a tailor in NYC, and when she returned home, she made her garments, including skirts and dresses.

While residing in NYC, she met her future husband, Cy. Enlisting in the United States Coast Guard at the outbreak of the Second World War, Cy was stationed on Staten Island. Lee was a hostess at the YMCA Canteen in Brooklyn, where they met. At this initial meeting, he announced that he was going to marry her. That evening, she told Charlotte, her roommate, she had met a talking wolf. The war progressed, and so did their romance. They were married in 1946, with Cy still in uniform.

Growing up during the Great Depression, Lee learned the essence of frugality as she watched her father earn one penny on selling a loaf of bread at Nori’s Market. One of her favorite admonitions was Non Sprecare, which means “no waste” in Italian. Anything that was half-finished was never thrown away.

In addition to her artistic leanings, she was an accountant by nature and nurture, having helped with her father’s ledgers at the Nori Market. In a small loose-leaf notebook, she kept track of all the weekly expenditures of the family household at 17 Carroll St., which at one point could not exceed $105 a week. Her first new car, a 1960 Ford Falcon station wagon, was delivered without a radio because, after all, who needs a radio? You could sing… Non Sprecare

She helped her children with countless school projects, creating beautiful covers and intelligent prose during those academic years. And no one had a better Halloween or school play costume made from materials on hand.

Later, she began working part-time as a sales associate for G. Fox and Company in Waterbury, CT. She had many great friends at G. Fox, which later became a Macy’s Department Store.

Lee enjoyed reading books and newspapers, including the Wall Street Journal and New York Times, until the end of her life. In addition, while living in Naples, she became a volunteer for an organization that rescued orphaned kittens. She took great delight and was quite good at bottle-feeding three-, four-, and five-ounce newborns.

She is survived by her brother, Dr. John E. Nori of Milford, CT; her son Craig and wife, Christine of Naples, FL.; Glenn and his wife Bernice of Tulsa, OK; and daughter, Tracy Fazzino and husband Sebastiano of Naugatuck, CT. She was Lee or grandma to her grandchildren Stephen, Rachel, Courtney, and Emily. She was great-grandmother to grandchildren Aiden and Brook, Stephen Jr.; all of Connecticut. She was known as “GG” to her great-grandchild Jaci of Tulsa.

Lee also leaves several nieces, nephews, cousins, and long-time friends.

The family will hold a private ceremony in her honor.