Nancy Louise Zenisky

Nancy Louise (Gervickas) Zenisky of Holyoke, Massachusetts, was a beloved wife, mother, grandmother, daughter, sister, and friend. She peacefully left us on July 14, 2024, at the age of 73.

Nancy was born to Charles and Stella (Shewchuk) of West Springfield, MA, on March 9, 1951. She attended the West Springfield Public Schools and graduated from Framingham State College in 1973. She and her husband Charlie were married in September 1973. After being home with her kids for a few years, Nancy began working in the Holyoke Public Schools in the mid-1980s, first as a library paraprofessional and then later moving into classroom support. Later, once her own kids finished college, Nancy had an opportunity to return to school and earn her master’s degree in education through a partnership of the Holyoke schools and the University of Massachusetts Amherst, specializing in Language, Literacy, and Culture. With that came her teaching certification and her own classroom. She taught emergent English language instruction to middle schoolers in Holyoke until her retirement in 2018.

She will be deeply, deeply missed by her beloved husband of 51 years, Charles Zenisky; her daughter April and her husband Raldy; and her son Matthew and his longtime partner and girlfriend Kelley. She was an amazing grandmother to Anya and Gia, and enjoyed being an integral part of their lives through hours of family time, activities, and horse shows. Nancy also leaves behind many friends and colleagues, especially her “Breakfast Club” of retired Holyoke educators. She was predeceased by her father (1997) and her mother (2003), and her older brother Charles Gervickas (2022).

Nancy loved her family and friends, and holidays and family celebrations. She also loved lighthouses and she and Charlie traveled up and down the East Coast to collect sightings of these beacons of light, though the Maine coast was always her favorite lighthouse destination.

Services will be private and scheduled at the convenience of the family, and there are no visiting hours. Memorial contributions may be made to the Shriners Children’s Hospital New England and Disabled American Veterans, both of which are organizations close to Nancy’s heart and family.