Bertha Marie Louise Nicholson

Bertha Marie Louise (Roy) Nicholson, 100, of Attleboro, MA, passed away peacefully at Madonna Manor in North Attleboro, MA, on Sunday, February 27, 2022, under a beautiful, blue-sky day.  She was the wife of the late Donald Nicholson, whom she married on June 2, 1945, and who passed away on September 22, 1990.
Born in Bromptonville, Quebec, Canada, she was the daughter of the late Oliva and Alma (Dumas) Roy.
There are moments when words simply fail.  This is one of those moments, trying to tell you about Bertha Nicholson.  Bertha was the most incredibly kind, welcoming, accepting, generous, sincere, caring and loving person.  She had a laser-like focus that honed-in on only the good within people and evaporated everything else.  Not that she was blind to our faults and shortcomings.  She knew life was short and how to spend her time wisely.  Bertha was outgoing, engaging, pragmatic with wisdom beyond her years. Spend just a little time with her and you would hear and see the endless depth of her wisdom.
More than once she asked how she managed to live to be 100.  The answer was her resiliency and practical, sensible acceptance of her limitations and the changes that happened in her life.  Some of her infamous sayings were "Just go with the flow" and "I'm no Mae West, but I do my best".  She offered guidance not opinions, listened without prying, welcomed her children's choices for life partners and accepted the sound reasoning of others.  She recognized when the home that her husband built became too much for her to handle and moved into an apartment.  She willingly moved into senior housing when the apartment no longer served her needs, offered up her car and driver's license when she knew it was time, and readily agreed when the time came for her to enter a long-term care residence.
She raised her family of five children while taking care of her elderly parents, maintaining her home, yard, garden and working for years as a machine operator for Craft, Inc. in Attleboro before retiring.  Cooking and serving meals was one of the many ways that Bertha expressed her love.  And true to her being, her meals were simple, overly generous and delightfully delicious.  She continued to share her love, making us meals well into her nineties and never stopped offering us meals long after her capacity to make them diminished.  She made seventeen holiday meat pies for family and friends when she was ninety-four years old and even delivered one to the butcher at Shaw's Market who sold her the ingredients. Typical Bertha.
Bertha was forever selflessly doing anything and everything that she could to help others.  She made time to take her Mother on hot dog and tea picnics at the WWII Memorial Park when her Mother was in a nursing home.  The only thing that she ever asked in return was an answer to her question: "What can I do to help?"  There was never too much that she could do for you.  If you were able to do something for her, even something not worth mentioning, she wouldn't just thank you.  It was always a heartfelt and joyous "Thank you, thank you, thank you!"  You think that she might wear those two words out.
Bertha's biggest gift was her love and appreciation for her family and friends.  Her love for her grandchildren was boundless, taking every opportunity to be with them and care for them.  And you were never luckier if you happen to be to be an infant or young child that entered into her life.  She taught us so much through her kindness, thoughtfulness, generosity, positive outlook and her appreciation for the smallest of gestures.  These are the lessons that stay with us for our remaining days.
Bertha is survived by her son, Paul J. Nicholson and his wife, Joanne A. (Bussiere) Nicholson, of Attleboro, MA; daughters Karole F.  Nicholson and her husband, Kenneth W. Salome, of Attleboro, MA, and Diane L. (Nicholson) Whalen and her husband, Joseph T. Whalen, of Cumberland, RI; her granddaughter, Lorie A. Goodman; two grandsons: Christopher S. Nicholson and wife, Crystal; and Andrew J. Whalen. Bertha was predeceased by her son Ronald T. Nicholson, and her daughter, Marie "Jeanne" Nicholson, and nine brothers and two sisters.  Her one surviving brother, Maurice Roy, resides  in Frederick, MD.  Bertha leaves numerous nieces and nephews, her extended family, and many dear friends.
Visitation will be privately held.
Friends and family are cordially invited to attend a Mass of Christian Burial on Thursday, March 3, 2022, at 11:00 a.m. at Saint John Vianney Catholic Church, 3587 Diamond Hill Rd, Cumberland, RI. At the request of Bertha's family, please wear a facemask and practice appropriate social distancing.
Burial will be private.
As an expression of sympathy and in lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to the Madonna Manor Skilled Nursing & Rehabilitative Care Activities or Ministries Fund, 85 North Washington St., North Attleboro, MA 02760.
For additional information or to send the family a written expression of sympathy, please visit an online guest book at www.dyer-lakefuneralhome.com
Arrangements are under the direction of the Dyer-Lake Funeral Home, 161 Commonwealth Avenue, Village of Attleboro Falls, North Attleboro. (508) 695-0200