Nicholas A. Rossi

July 6, 1926 – May 22, 2026

Nick Rossi gave life his all. He passed peacefully in his sleep of natural causes at home on May 22, 2026, after a short and swift decline. He had been ambulatory with a cane and then briefly with a walker and some assistance until just five days prior. His wife Linda was by his side and his family was with him constantly in his final days; his eyes were happily fixed on baseball games on TV less than two days before he died. 

  Nicholas A. Rossi was born July 6, 1926, the son of Pasqualina “Lena” (Procino) Rossi and E. Alfredo Rossi (who went by Alfred) of Auburn, NY, who had emigrated from southern Italy. He and his two older sisters, Geraldine and Marjorie, who pre-deceased him, were raised in an Italian-American neighborhood on Washington Street in Auburn. Lena and Alfred then moved the family out of Lena’s parents’ house into a house they built on Marvine Ave.  

  Lena’s father Nicholas Procino and Alfred had founded Procino and Rossi Macaroni: P&R, a favorite in grocery stores around the Northeast. The plant was on Washington St.

by the outflow creek of Owasco Lake.  

  After high school, he did a PG year at Bullis Academy with hopes of joining the navy. He enlisted in the military late in WWII and served until 1948. With his math skills he was assigned to Fort Dix working on the mustering-out pay as soldiers were demobilized from their service in WWII.  

  Nick graduated from Clarkson University in 1951 with a Bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering. He was well prepared to gradually take over running P&R. In time, he became president of P&R; later he also served as president of the National Macaroni Manufacturers Association and attended annual conventions with his wife and children. 

  Nick met the love of his life, Linda Rockino, in 1954, and they married on June 11, 1955. He was absolutely devoted to her. They moved from Auburn to Skaneateles, NY, and after a few years, bought a home on the newly-developed Gayle Rd. where they raised their three children in that community: Alfredo, Rebecca, and George.  

  Nick was a tireless worker. He left home early in the morning and came home in time for dinner, only to return often to business phone calls at the kitchen table in the evenings and on Saturdays. He managed still to find time to serve for some years on the Skaneateles school board, a service he felt passionate about. 

  After P&R had to finally be sold to Hershey Foods in 1978, Nick continued on their payroll for awhile into the early 1980’s before starting his own business as a food broker for small food companies. He still had some accounts into his mid-90’s.  

  Nick was an avid athlete. He especially loved basketball, baseball, football, and golf and excelled in all. He followed the Yankees and the “baby Yanks” and was happy to tell the players and coaches on TV what they were doing right and wrong! 

  Nick lived life with gusto, commitment, and warmth, treating everyone as equals and as good friends. We called him “the Energizer Bunny.” He gave of himself naturally and without airs and had an easy way about him. He didn’t make anything hard. When he fixed things, even little things, he would say with a twinkle, “I’m an engineer, you know.” He helped friends and neighbors when he saw the need, and in his older years he volunteered for Meals on Wheels in Skaneateles.  

  Nick loved his family, seeing friends, attending sporting events including those of their friends’ children, traveling, driving, cooking, eating good food, dancing, music, and telling stories. He didn’t like disagreements and did his best to ignore the negative and focus on the positive. He was a joy to all who knew him. His mother’s motto she would share was, “Don’t be bitter, honey.” Nick lived this motto fully. 

  As he walked around Skaneateles running errands, he inevitably ran into people he knew; Linda would say, “He went out for a few groceries and he’s been gone an hour and a half!” People in town called him “the Mayor of Skaneateles.” In recent years, neighbors would see him shaking his cane at traffic as he crossed Route 20 in the middle of the block to get to the garage. It must have worked! 

  As his energy gradually waned in the last year, a favorite pastime of his was “the clock game,” as Linda called it. He’d look at the large digital clock on the shelf and say, “Alfie! (or whoever was there) Look at the clock now!” “What, Dad?” “It’s 6:17!” “Yeah, it’s 6:17. What’s special about that?” “Six plus one is seven!” His mathematical brain was always able to connect the numbers in one way or another. He got endless enjoyment from this.  

  Nick and Linda’s son George worked with Nick in his 80’s (still his prime!) to create cooking videos featuring favorite Rossi family recipes, called “You Eat What I Cook You.” These can be found on YouTube and on youeatwhaticookyou.com and are not just great recipes, but fine entertainment!  

  He is survived by his wife, Linda R. Rossi of Skaneateles, NY; son Alfredo (Lois) of New York City; daughter Rebecca Gessner (Don) of Falmouth, MA; son George (Michele Hickman) of Syracuse, NY; granddaughter Ashley Gessner; step-granddaughter Jaime Gessner; and numerous nieces, nephews, and their children and grandchildren.  

  Donations in Nick’s name can be made to SAVES (Skaneateles Area Volunteer Emergency Services) at savesambulance.org .  

  Services will be held at a later date and will be private.

To leave condolences, please visit robertdgrayfuneralhome.com.