In Memory of James Vincent Tricarico

On November 15, 2019, the Tricarico family of Nutley lost someone very important, their son and brother, James Vincent Tricarico. James was a celebrity in Nutley. If you ask anyone who lives in town about him, they knew who he was. The Nutley native attended Nutley High School for six years and graduated in 2006 and also worked as a Secretarial Aide for the high school for 13 years. He also worked for the Nutley ShopRite and called himself “the Mayor of ShopRite.” People who have visited the high school or the Nutley ShopRite were always given a warm welcome. Whether it was a simple wave, a smile, or a “have a nice day!” James was always interacting with students, staff members, or really anyone he met and created connections with them. 

Many students remember seeing James working at ShopRite when they would go grocery shopping with their parents when they were younger. He always had a smile on his face and clearly loved his job. “When James worked at ShopRite, he was always ready with his beautiful smile and kind words. It was wonderful seeing him through the years,” stated by Janice Schoem, James’s former resource teacher at Yantacaw Elementary School.

James made the school community and town a better place. He was always there to help with anything and everything that someone needed, whether he knew them or not. He left a mark on everyone he met and without him, NHS would not be the same.. “He was not dealt a great hand physically, but he didn’t let that color his world,” said NHS Principal, Mr. Denis Williams. “He reminded us that it’s what’s in here (your heart) that counts. You have to count your blessings when they’re in front of you.. We complain first without thinking and he always made us stop and think, ‘Wait a minute, it’s not that big a deal.’ Keep it simple, keep people happy, keep yourself happy.”

James will be dearly missed and his spirit will live on forever at NHS and in the town of Nutley.