Bernice C. Capita

Born in Providence, a daughter of the late Ralph and Ellenor (Williams) Mizen.

Beloved wife of the late John Capita. Devoted mother to; Kathleen Sullivan (Daniel), and Michele R. Marcoccio. Cherished Nana to; Daniel Sullivan IV (Damaris), Jaclyn Leibl-Cote (Christian), Lauren Ferrari (Dominique), Nicole Diebold (John), Neil Marcoccio (Meghan), and Jenna Foster (Michael). Gigi to; Dylan, Brody, Ashley, Nathan, Wyatt, Charlie, Austin, Hannah, Harrison, Eleanor, Luca, Avery, Landon and Gavin. Sister of the late, Rhoda Mazzone.

Bernice went by many names. Miss Mizen. Bird. Birdy. Lady B. Birdalaboo. Mrs. Capita. Mom. Nana. Gigi. As Miss Mizen, she was Rhoda’s sister, Ralph and Ellenor’s daughter. She would read books and loved school. She roller-skated, and sometimes felt, even when she was sitting in her kitchen, that she could remember the feeling of having those skates on her feet, the feeling of freedom as she took off on adventures. Growing up, America was facing the Great Depression, soldiers were going to war, and joy was something you found in the simplest of ways.

Her life changed completely one day at Oakland Beach in Warwick, Rhode Island, when she first laid eyes on John Capita. Her Johnny. They fell in love and her name changed again. Mrs. Capita. And soon after, “Mom.” Kathy and Shelly were raised with so much love because being a mom was the greatest job that she had ever had. Johnny worked two jobs to support his family and Bernice stayed home to focus on the girls. For them, she wanted the world — literally. She hoped they’d travel and see the world. She wanted them to finish school and to be happy. As Kathy and Shelly graced “Mom” with a new title, “Nana,” her biggest adventures started. Her girls had grown up and they traveled. They saw the world — as did she! She went to Germany to see the Passion Play. She visited Lourdes and Fatima and saw the statue of Bernadette. She and Johnny stood in St. Mark’s square in Venice, together. She explored the world and so did her girls.

Bernice took her role as Nana with absolute pride and joy. With six grandchildren, she took them on mystery rides. She made Christmas morning more fun than Santa. She would stay with them during her daughters’ travels. She laughed with them, showed them her favorite movies, and made each one of them feel like they were her entire world. When Johnny passed away in 1988, Bernice started work at Providence College, in Security. Quickly, the faculty, security guards, professors and even students began to see why Bernice Capita was so special. To them, she was “Lady B.” She was not just reliable and hard-working. She made them laugh with her stories. She asked about their lives. And her grandchildren visited her… all of six of them… throughout the two decades she worked at PC. They’d call her and prank her sometimes, too, but just to hear her laugh. Her sense of humor, especially with them, was easy and so open. When she wasn’t at work, or home enjoying her daughters and grandchildren, or with her lifelong friend Joan at the casino, she was at the Yarn Gazebo with Ann and all her other knitting friends, making sweaters, hats, and scarves for her favorite people. If you got a Bernice Original, it was a wardrobe staple. She approached knitting the way she approached life — with creativity and hard work. Her talent showed in the end result, but in looking at the detail you could see the love woven into each stitch. The details spoke of how she felt about the person she created the piece for – the colors, designs, patterns, and yarn chosen with a great deal of care. She would approach projects that were tougher, more complicated, and she would create a masterpiece.

She said once, that when Johnny died, she felt so overcome and sad, and she thanked God for her grandchildren because they brought her so much joy. She faced hardship with determination and hope. She found solace in westerns, mysteries, and romances - her “stories.” And she lived with integrity. Going into the workforce at 55 years old was brave and the fact that she held her same job for two decades and won the hearts of so many in that chapter of her life is a testament to how she approached every situation. With gratitude for everything she was blessed with — and with grace and always with that endless laughter.

As her six grandchildren grew and married, Bernice became “Gigi”. For fourteen years, she watched her two daughters experience the joy of being Nana and Nonni. She held little hands, kissed tiny feet, heard those first words, marveled at their first steps, and continued making her family feel like it was beyond blessed just because they were the recipients of her immense love. Danny, Jaclyn, Lauren, Nicole, Neil, and Jenna gave her fourteen reasons to figure out how to use Facebook. And use it, she did! Even though she sometimes struggled to power on her iPad, and technology and social media were hardly easy to learn for someone born in the ‘30s, she was determined to see every picture and video she could, to hold her over between the many, many visits to see her in person. Bernice. Birdy. Miss Mizen. Mrs. Capita. Mom. Nana. Gigi. She knit together in her greatest masterpiece a family so full of her love. It was her greatest accomplishment — and now it is her family’s greatest legacy.

Visitation Thursday, 4 – 7 p.m., Funeral on Friday at 9 a.m. in the PONTARELLI-MARINO HOME, 971 Branch Avenue, Providence. Followed by a Mass of Christian Burial at 10 a.m. in St. Anthony Roman Catholic Church, 1413 Mineral Spring Avenue, North Providence.

Burial will be private.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to, Holy Family Home, 5 Gibbs Street, North Providence, RI 02904.