Horatio "Nick" Nicastro

HOLDEN - Horatio “Nick” Nicastro, 68 passed away peacefully at his home in Shrewsbury on November 20th, 2018. Born in Fitchburg on June 22, 1950, Nick was the son of Philip and Carmela (Catalfamo) Nicastro and lived 30 years in Ashburnham and several years in Holden before recently moving to Shrewsbury.

Nick was an accomplished student and athlete at Notre Dame High School. He was a pitcher for Notre Dame and was also the kicker for the football team. He graduated in 1968 and shifted his focus to science and education while he attended Fitchburg State College. He was a member of the Alpha Phi Omega fraternity with whom he built the new Newman Center at FSC. He graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Secondary Education and Teaching in 1972 and a Master of Natural Science from WPI in 1996. He taught physics and computer science at St. Bernard’s from 1972 until 1986, where he also coached girl’s basketball and directed plays. He then taught physics and engineering classes at Wachusett Regional from 1986 through 2016.

Nick’s life reflected his passion for science. As a high school and college student he worked as a volunteer at the Harvard Observatory and worked in programs funded by NASA. He also developed and delivered several presentations for the Alice G. Wallace Planetarium in Fitchburg. Later in life, he was awarded a grant from Northeastern University to work at CERN on the large hadron collider in Switzerland. He served on the executive board of the American Association of Physics Teachers and severed as president for the northeast affiliate. Nick also worked as a consultant to the Institute of Theoretical Physics in Santa Barbara, CA for their work with high school teachers around the country. In that capacity, he won the National Raab Presentation Award for his curriculum work in quantum optics and laser beam photonics. He is included in the 1998 edition of “Who’s Who Among American Teachers of Science.”

Beyond his interests in science, Nick also loved the arts. He was a piano player from childhood and directed and performed with several theater companies over the course of his life. Most notably, he was a member of Masque Repertory Theater, where he performed in shows like The Odd Couple, 1776, and A View From the Bridge. He loved cooking and classical music.

He will be lovingly remembered and missed by his oldest son Daniel Joseph and his wife Kate Elsishans, his younger son Timothy James and his wife Amanda Nicastro, and their mother Catherine Lane Nicastro. He is survived by cousins Philip Nicastro, Michael Catalfamo, and Frank and Tony Catalfamo. He also leaves behind a multitude of nieces, nephews, and friends.

Relatives and friends are invited to visit with Nick’s family from 4-7 on Monday, November 26 at the Miles Funeral Home, 1158 Main Street, Holden, MA. A funeral service honoring his life will be held at 11:00 am on Tuesday, at the funeral home. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made in his name to The Boys and Girls Club of Fitchburg and Leominster, 365 Lindell Ave., Leominster, MA 01453, or to the Overlook Hospice in Charlton, 88 Masonic Home Rd. #2, Charlton, MA 01507. To share a memory or to offer a condolence please sign the guest book on this page.