Victoria J. Nessmith

Victoria Josephine NesSmith died peacefully in her home September 26 at the age of 92. She was one of four children born to Frank and Mary Ugniewski in Philadelphia. Her ancestry was 100% Polish, with both her parents having been born in Poland, her father claiming to having descended from the landed gentry. As a child, the irrepressible Victoria often sneaked out of the house to explore parts of Philly she wanted to see. Her exploits often would have her walking the city streets alone at night as she headed for home, where she would enter by climbing onto the back porch roof, then getting inside the house via a second-story window. She recently referred to her mother as "I'll-never-smile-again-Mary", but her father was just the opposite: a very warm and sociable man who usually had a bottle of Ortlieb's beer by his easy chair. Little "Vitchka" brought joy, singing and laughter--and occasionally consternation--into her family home. She was a "live wire" and a joy to her parents, who wept terribly when she left home to marry.

At an early age Victoria began watching older kids on dance floors. She studied their steps and moves, then practiced in front of a mirror until she mastered all the popular dances. Among her favorites were the waltz, polka, and, eventually, the cha cha. She was "in heaven" as she glided along the floor, twirling and swaying. Even during the last year of her life, Victoria managed to attend some dances.

As a young woman she worked in a defense plant during WWII. During a weekend outing at a river cabin in New Jersey she met Wilbur (Whitey) NesSmith, a handsome and cocky sailor with whom she corresponded while he was deployed in the Pacific. In his letters he laid out his plans for their life together, including floor plans for the house he would build for her. One weekend when he was on leave she met him in New York City. She had a paper bag as a suitcase and a few dollars. He had even less money, so they did New York on a real budget, riding the busses and ending up sleeping on a bench at Coney Island. When they eventually married in Jacksonville in 1944, she was guest of honor at a gathering in his parents' home. In attendance were most of Wilbur's eight siblings and their families, all of them eager to meet this exotic "big city" gal from up north. This seems to be the occasion in which, courtesy of her feisty new father-in-law, she earned the nickname "Spitfire," an accurate descriptor that stuck.

Whitey and Victoria lived in part of a rental house across from the parents for their first year, during which they produced the first male grandchild of the clan (William Charles). The poor lad was born with swollen neck glands and a lopsided head, and she saw need to tape his ears to his head. Other than that, he was undoubtedly adorable. They later moved into an apartment in Riverside, and then he built, largely with his own hands, a house on West 63rd Street in the North Shore neighborhood. Soon after that he built their next house, on West 60th Street, where Son Number Two, Richard Kenneth, was born. Baby Rick cried enough that his older and wiser four-year-old brother described him as "Bad Baby." Four years later Mary Darlene finally gave Mom reason to buy girly clothes. When Ellen Denise was born six years later, both the girls were well supplied with petticoats, bonnets, etc., as evidenced by the home movies.

The many neighborhood kids who would hang around the house both loved her and feared her. This was true also of the kids in the classrooms where she was so often a "homeroom mother." She was physically small (just over five feet) but loomed large because of her out-sized personality. For whatever reason, the kids all did whatever she told them to do. NO ONE sassed this little lady with the commanding presence. Dogs obeyed her, too.

One of Victoria's great passions in life was her love of babies, which explains the joy with which she welcomed her nine grandchildren (Richard Kenneth NesSmith, Jr, Todd Michael Longacre, Vanessa Anne NesSmith Buchko, Katherine Mary NesSmith, Michael Alan Mulcahy, Ellen Mulcahy, Lacey Longacre Gwaltney, Moira Mulcahy, and Victoria "Tori" Engeloff and five great-grandchildren (Nicholas NesSmith, Margaret and Matilda Buchko, Hunter and Hannah Gwaltney).

Vivacious, spunky, glamorous, and warmer than warm, Victoria rarely passed a baby without saying hello, was never reluctant to offer her opinion, and always had a gown or two in her closet for the next big dance. For those who knew her, some of the pizzazz and love has just seeped out of our world.

Visitation and Memorial Service will take place Saturday, Oct. 1, at 11:00am at Hardage Giddens, 729 S. Edgewood Ave., followed by burial service at Evergreen Cemetery, 4535 N. Main St.