Gregory Nosal

 Salem- Gregory Nosal died peacefully of old age on Sunday, March 14, 2021 at the Plumeria Adult Home in Fort Edward, NY.

    Born September 20, 1920 in Wysoki-Borek, Poland, he was the son of Michail and Jekaterina (Gurinowicz) Nosal. The family moved to Rovno, Poland in 1936. In 1939 he had just begun studying at the Technical University in Lemberg, Poland when World War II broke out. He spent the next 6 years surviving as best he could all over Europe, trying to avoid conscription into the Soviet Army or being deported to a German labor camp, once actually escaping from a Nazi transport during an air raid. He made his way to the part of Germany under American control at the end of the war, where as a refugee and displaced person, he was finally able to complete his studies as a civil engineer, graduating from the Technical University in Munich, Germany.

    He met the love of his life, Brigitta, in Munich, and they married in 1951. The newlyweds emigrated to the U.S., settling in New York City. They raised their family in Flushing, Queens. Gregory spent his engineering career at Cerro Corporation, retiring in the late 70’s.

    In 1984, Gregory and Brigitta moved to Salem, to an old house on Blind Buck Road where they spent the next 30 years enjoying life and making that old house a home. He embodied the saying, “use it up, wear it out, make it do, or do without,” employing his engineering skill and technical savvy along with an innate sense of frugality to come up with solutions to just about any problem. He could fix a child’s toy, a lady’s necklace, a clock, a car- just about anything you could name. He built furniture and the family’s summer camp in Vermont. He always put his family first and made sure they had everything they needed.

    He was predeceased by his beloved wife in 2013 but continued to live at his home with the help of his loving daughter until moving to the Plumeria Home in December, 2018, where he continued to enjoy life until his passing. Gregory celebrated his 100th birthday there with his family all around, which he pronounced “the happiest day of my old age!” 

    He is survived by his three children: Andrew Nosal and his wife Maureen of Providence, RI, Michael Nosal and his wife Elisabeth of Ringwood, NJ, and Tanya Goldstein and her husband Mike of West Hebron, NY; five grandchildren: Peter Nosal and his wife Lisa, Thomas Nosal and his fiancée Julianna, Matthias Nosal, Rachael (Goldstein) Armstrong and her husband Charles, Daniel Goldstein and his partner Jenny; two great-grandchildren: Jacob and Lily Armstrong; and his sister-in-law Barbara Ostheim of Germany.

    The family would like to thank Sue, Melissa and Denise at the Plumeria Home for their care of Gregory during his time there. Their dedication and love allowed him to truly enjoy his last years all the way to the end. We are forever grateful.

Services and burial are private.

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