Aug. 5, 1930 – Sept. 3, 2019
Nicole de Labry Waterman died Tuesday, Sept. 3 at her residence at Edgehill in Stamford, CT. Nicole was born in Lausanne, Switzerland and lived in France and Spain at different times during her childhood. Her courageous father and mother, René and Odette, fled Europe in 1941 during World War II with four young children on the last steamship to leave Portugal. Nicole was 11 years old at the time. She and her family settled in Scarsdale, N.Y. and embraced the United States, becoming American citizens, of which Nicole was enormously proud. She attended Marymount College and worked in New York City at Schumacher’s, a prominent design and fabric company.
On a trip to Bern, Switzerland to visit her sister, Nicole met her husband of 63 years, Proctor Waterman, who was in medical school at that time. They were married in 1953 and moved into an apartment in New York City on Fifth Avenue. In 1957 they moved their young family to Old Greenwich, CT, and by 1972, their residence for the next 43 years would be at Leeward Lane, Riverside, where they raised their three girls, Pam, Christie and Mary Lou. Nicole went on to work for the Greenwich Board of Education and Eastern Junior High School. She adored being with children, and was a caring, compassionate and friendly face to students, often supplying them lunch money when they forgot their own.
Nicole was a faithful parishioner of St. Catherine of Siena Church from which she derived much inspiration and comfort. Her greatest accomplishments, in her and Proc’s eyes, were their daughters whom they called their ‘three jewels’. She travelled extensively with Proc, creating adventures and visiting family in Europe, and Pam and Christie when they lived in Asia. She enjoyed antiquing throughout New England, loved the beach at Greenwich Point, was an amazing French cook and loved chronicling her family’s life with her photo albums. She was patient, loving and self-sacrificing, earning her the title ‘Saint Nicole’ from her family! Her devotion to her husband Proc was unwavering; they were two halves of a growing apple tree, supporting each other.
She is survived by three loving sons-in-law and six grandchildren. Ken Paley, husband of Pam, Jeff and Lauren (with her first great-grandchild on the way) of Cincinnati, OH, Scott Kozak, husband of Christie, Steven and Leigh of Sudbury, MA and Mark Tolette, husband of Mary Lou, Rob and Anna, of Cos Cob, CT.
There will be a mass celebrating Nicole’s life on Saturday, Oct. 19 at 10 a.m., at St. Catherine of Siena Church, 4 Riverside Ave., with a reception following. In lieu of flowers, you may make a gift in Nicole’s name to Friends of Greenwich Point by going to friendsofgreenwichpoint.org
