Edward L. Nargi, 94,
Edward L. Nargi, 94, was a lifelong resident of Milford, Mass., born October 2, 1919 to Antonio and Vincenza (Moccia) Nargi. He graduated from Milford High School class of 1937 and served in the U.S. Army from 1942-1945. He was stationed in England and France during WWII. His brother, Louis J. Nargi, a Second Lieutenant in the U.S. Army Air Forces, was shot down over Germany in 1944. Nargi was married to Blanche L. (McCarthy) Nargi of Franklin, Mass. in 1947. She passed away in 2010, three days before their 63rd wedding anniversary. They met on the dance floor at King Philip Ballroom on Lake Pearl in Wrentham, Mass. They enjoyed dancing their entire lives, especially at the many family weddings they attended. Nargi is survived by his son Louis J. Nargi and his wife Nancy (Norton) Nargi of Lafayette, Indiana; his daughter Janice M. Nargi of Marlborough, Mass.; his grandson Anthony and his wife Jenny (Eldred) Nargi, and his granddaughter Laura Nargi, all living in California; two great-grand-children Henry and Vincent Nargi; a step-brother Albert Cugini of Natick; cousins Robert Nargi of Milford and Pasquale Nargi of Bellingham; niece Carlotta (Nargi) DeGaetano of Blackstone; and numerous other cousins, nephews, nieces, and extended family members living throughout the Northeast. In addition to his brother Louis, Nargi also survived his brother Vincent J. Nargi of Milford; a sister, Pasqualina Rosa Nargi Spencer, who was known for founding, owning and operating the Caffe Lena in Saratoga Springs, New York; two infant sisters, both named Celestina; a beloved step-mother, Angelina (Notturno) Cugini Nargi; two step-brothers, Raymond and Frank Cugini; and a step-sister Adele (Cugini) Sibson. Nargi and his brother Vincent, known to his friends and family as Jimmy, owned and operated the Sorrento Room on Central Street in Milford until they sold it in 1972. The restaurant, founded as the Union Café in the 1930s by their father Antonio and uncle Pasquale, originally included a hotel, a restaurant and a men’s bar that served the immigrant granite quarry, rubber shop, and shoe factory workers of the area. Nargi was the chef and used many of his step-mother Angelina’s old-world Italian recipes. He also attended the Fanny Farmer Cooking School in Boston where he learned classic food preparation and kitchen management. After he and his brother sold the restaurant, Nargi and his wife enjoyed annual trips to the east coast of Florida during the winter. They would spend two months each year in Cocoa and particularly enjoyed watching space launches from Cape Canaveral. Nargi also took up golf and became a member of the senior league at the Hopedale Country Club, where he played for close to 40 years. Up until last year, he was one of the three oldest active players at the club. Nargi was beloved by his family and known for his warm smile and upbeat sense of humor. He was a wonderful storyteller and loved to spark the imagination of young children with tall tales, especially when it involved using a funny Italian accent. He was generous and kind and took many young men under his wing by giving them jobs at the restaurant. He was a devoted husband and father, and he spent the last 13 years of his wife’s life caring for her at home.
A funeral home service will be held Monday, August 25, 2014 at 11 A.M. at the Consigli-Ruggerio Funeral Home 46 Water St Milford. The burial will be at the convenience of the family.
Calling hours are Monday morning from 8:30 to 10:30 A.M