Nina C. Bruyette

Nina Carmen Bruyette, 91, died on August 5, at Mountain View Center in Rutland, Vermont.  Nina was the first born of three children, to Donato & Angelina (Vitagliano) Giancola of Proctor, Vermont.  She was born on April 27, 1932. She graduated from Proctor High School in 1951.

She was employed by the Howe Scale Company in Rutland for several years.

She met Ralph E. Bruyette in Proctor, and they were married in November 1953 at St. Dominic’s Church. She and Ralph moved to Barre, VT, where Ralph was studying to be a pharmacist.  They later moved to Ludlow, VT where they owned and operated the Rexall Drug Store on Main Street for 20 years.

Later in life, Nina attended cosmetology school and worked as a hairdresser into her 80’s. She worked at Regis Salon in the Diamond Run Mall in Rutland and later at Creative 5 Hair Design.  The stylists at Creative 5 were her second family and she loved them all dearly.

Nina enjoyed many hobbies: music, reading, bingo, playing cards, knitting, crocheting, drawing, and painting. Nina played the piano, organ, accordion, and the guitar. She played and sang with the church choir in Ludlow. She especially loved gathering with her family during the holidays.  Many a holiday was spent around the table playing endless games of UNO into the wee hours of the morning.

The beautiful island of Jamaica was her second home. She loved spending time there with friends and family.  She made many dear friends on that beautiful island and can now be with her special friend Macy! “Irie” (Everything is fine!) “de olda de moon, de brighter it shines.”  (A Jamaican saying… the older the person, the wiser he or she is.)

She was predeceased by her late husband, Ralph, in November 2003.

She is survived by her sister, Marie T. Fusco of Rutland, VT, a brother, Michael (Pauline) Giancola of Essex, VT, 2 nieces, Gina (Alfred )Vitagliano of Pittsford, VT, Christine (Kevin) Elliott of Rutland, Michael (Sheila) Giancola of Pocasset, MA., Donato (Cary) Giancola of Brooklyn, NY., and David (Kathy) Giancola of Atlanta, GA, as well as several great nieces and nephews and one great-great niece. Nina loved all her nieces and nephews so very much and each one of them has wonderful memories of Aunt Nini. If there was laughing to be done, it was with Aunt Nini, and often at her expense!! She had a sharp mind and was good with numbers, could be stubborn, feisty, had a great sense of humor and a warm and generous heart. She will surely be missed by all whose lives she touched.

Thank you to all the staff from SASH, RAVA, the Loretto Home and Mountain View Center for the care given to Nina.

There will be a funeral service at 11am on Friday, August 11, 2023 at St. Dominic’s Church in Proctor followed by burial at Riverside Cemetery. There will be a visiting hour from 9:30am to 10:30am at Clifford Funeral Home in Rutland on Friday Morning. Arrangements are under the direction of Clifford Funeral Home in Rutland.