Olga Clair Piantidosi

Olga Clair Nassar Piantidosi passed away Thursday Feb 2, 2017. She will be deeply missed as a mother, grandmother and sister. She is survived by her daughters Robin Piantidosi, Tina Hall, Kara Piantidosi and Lisa Hunt and 11 grandchildren. And siblings Diane Vevea, Sandra Samojeden, Mary Jane St Amour, Sam Nassar and James Nassar.

Olga was born October 23rd, 1940, to Rosine (nee Kateb) and Samuel Nassar. Upon her birth as the fourth daughter, her father christened her his 'Lucky Star.' The name stuck, for better or for worse, and Olga became Lucky not only in namesake, but also literally. Her father felt that Olga brought luck not only to his business but their family as well.

Lucky grew up in Methuen Massachusetts and later in Windham, New Hampshire where she lived and worked on the family apple farm. After earning her High School Diploma from Methuen High, Lucky went on to get her degree in nursing and training from Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston. Soon after graduating Lucky married and over 10 years had four daughters.

For a good many years, Lucky stayed home and raised her four girls. After some time on the East Coast, in Ohio and in Arizona, the family finally settled and made roots in Villa Park, CA in 1974. At home Lucky's talents shined as an accomplished seamstress, a phenomenal cook and baker, as well as a prolific gardener all of which gave her the tools to creating a wonderfully welcoming home for her daughters, friends and family. She also used her massive creativity in projects with and for her daughters' school projects, dances and events. In addition to all of that, Lucky took on the role as chief cheerleader during all of her daughters' illustrious athletic careers.

But by the early 1980's Lucky found her way back into the work force. She had been keeping her nursing license current and resurrected her nursing career. As a nurse she was acknowledged time and time again by her patients as being the best care provider, winning awards and accolades from the patients themselves and the staff. She eventually parlayed her expertise into the position of coordinating the hospital staff's continuing education.

Meanwhile, Lucky had one goal in raising her daughters - that they achieve a bachelor's degree from a university. In everything that she did with her four daughters, it was all for the greater cause of making sure they all had a degree behind them and would be prepared to not only enter the workforce at any level, but also excel. This above all was her pen-ultimate success: all of her daughters graduated college and no one could take their education away from them. And no one could ever take that achievement away from Olga - it was her single most treasured accomplishment that she would return to again and again as her proudest moment of her life.

Once Olga had finished raising her daughters and they all found themselves settled in the San Francisco Bay Area, Olga had to join them. And in true Olga determination, and a little reminiscent of the iconic Mary Tyler Moore, she packed it all up, moved her entire world - all so she could be close to those that mattered most to her: her daughters. Olga quickly acclimated to her new surroundings in Pleasant Hill, CA and enjoying her new status as a working woman who commuted to 'The City' working as a nurse case reviewer. Olga was energized by working in downtown San Francisco, but relished coming home to her family, and new found friends in the Bay Area.

Soon after her arrival in the Bay Area, Olga took on her most cherished role of all, as a grandmother to her 11 grandchildren. In an effort to avoid being called grandmother, Olga asked for the kids to use a shortened version of her much used nickname: "LuLu." And fortunately the children struggled saying LuLu and thus ZuZu was born. In addition to loving on her grandchildren, Olga loved to boast that she was a lucky mother in law to Jim, Joe, Bryan and Mark; she loved all of her son in laws, and they too shared the same feelings toward her, that they were lucky to have a mother in law like her.

Olga was not only quick to warm to her surroundings but also to many of her work colleagues at both AIG and Travelers Ins, and her neighbors on Grapevine Place. Friends held a very sweet spot in Olga's heart and once she felt you were a friend you were a friend for life. In addition to making friends every where she went, Olga reached out in other ways for friends. She was a member of two book clubs, a bridge club and an active parishioner at her local church.

Many of Olga's friends, from as far back as high school, to her years in Villa Park and all the way up through her working years in San Francisco, can all attest to Olga's devotion, loyalty and caring friendship. Her friends were dear to her and they were quick to reciprocate in kind to her.

When she wasn't home in the Bay Area showering her daughters and grandchildren with attention, or spending time with her friends, Olga managed to become somewhat of a globe trotter visiting such far off places as England, Italy, France, Germany, Amsterdam and China, to only name a few. She also took her turn around the states visiting such places as Alaska, Hawaii and Arizona. She enjoyed all of the traveling from the planning stages to experiencing all the new sights, sounds and adventures, but she also enjoyed coming back home.

And back home is where Olga had her most important job to tend to, being a grandmother. Olga loved to spend her free time with all of her grandchildren. She relished in her role as grandmother and the children relished in all of the love and attention Zu Zu would bestow. Of all her accomplishments, it was clear Olga felt mother, and grandmother, were her greatest roles.

Olga will be missed, more than words, feelings or sentiments can convey. She may have been taken sooner than we wanted, but clearly God called her home for a reason and we are all blessed we had in her lives for as long as we did, and we know in our hearts that she is at peace and home at last....

Memorial Mass for Olga Piantidosi
Thursday, March 2nd
at Saint John Vianney Catholic Church
1650 Ygnacio Valley Road, Walnut Creek, CA, 94598
Services begin at 10:30am

Immediately following the memorial service we will go to Queen of Heaven Cemetery 1965 Reliez Valley Road, Lafayette, CA 94549

After the interment please join us for a reception at the Lafayette Park Hotel,
3287 Mt. Diablo Boulevard, Lafayette, CA 94549 from 1:30-3:30pm

A Gift in the memory of Olga Piantidosi can be made to the Bruns House in care of Hospice of the East Bay
3470 Buskirk Avenue
Pleasant Hill, CA 94523
https://www.givedirect.org/donate/?cid=1456
or
Lung Cancer Research Foundation
https://28353.thankyou4caring.org/donate