Obituary of Silvia Nicholson

On Monday July 17, 2023, Silvia Guadalupe Nicholson (49), of Forked River, New Jersey, passed away peacefully at home following a courageous battle with cancer. Silvia is survived by her loving and devoted husband David, and two beautiful children, Elias and Grace.  She is also survived by sister Natalia, Mother Sidonia, Grandmother Yolanda, and many Aunts, Uncles, and extended family in Peru. On June 27, 1974, Silvia was born into a large extended family in Arequipa, Peru. Raised largely by her grandparents Yolanda and Juan, along with her aunts and uncles, in a multi-generational home, she was brought up with a passion for learning and worked hard to be in the top of her class throughout her academic career. She walked the halls of elementary school at Maria Auxiliadora and secondary school at Saint Rose of Viterbo where she became a part of a rambunctious yet academically-minded group of girl calling themselves “Las Sapies”. It is said that Silvia and Las Sapies gave the Sister Superior a headache or two! After graduating from high school in 1991, Silvia attended National University of Saint Augustine in Arequipa, Peru, graduating with a degree in Biology. But she always had her sights set on making a life for herself in the United States and meeting Axel Rose from her favorite band, Guns ‘N’ Roses……. Silvia arrived in the US in 2001 and worked as an au pair in several homes, mostly located in Long Island, NY, before taking a job in medical billing. Her passion for learning and education never waivered. She was ALWAYS diligent in taking her training and even college-type courses to better herself within her field. This persistent self-improvement would eventually lead her to complete and pass her exam to be a Certified Medical Coder. On one of the last good beach days in September of 2007, playing volleyball on a beach in Long Island, Silvia met the love of her life in David Nicholson…….though she didn’t know it quite yet. As she tried to set him up with a friend, it took him a few months of persuading, but in February of 2008, Silvia and David were an item. From day one, volleyball was their passion and connection. Silvia was his setter and David was her hitter, and their love bloomed. David proposed to Silvia looking out over the ocean in Mendocino, CA, and she said…..”Are you sure?” To which David said “I’ve never been more sure!”. They married each other, surrounded by just a couple of friends and family, on the beach in Long Island on July 24, 2009, and later had a larger ceremony for all friends and family on September 12, 2009, at the beach in Lavallette, NJ. David and Silvia moved to Hanover, MD in early 2011 to follow David’s job. They bought a new house and lived there with Silvia’s sister Natalia for a couple of years. On June 13, 2012, Silvia’s true passion in life was realized when Elias William Nicholson was born. As many of her friends before David would attest, Silvia never wanted to have children. She did not want to contribute to the world’s overpopulation. But the love that David and Silvia shared changed her mind and she was off on her most important journey. In early 2013, the new family of three moved to Toms River, NJ. Again, for David’s job. Silvia loved these moves. She loved seeing new places and meeting new people and moving was a great way to do both. Since Silvia married David, she had been on a quest to become a United States citizen. No surprise, she easily passed her required citizenship classes and nailed her citizenship interview and became a US citizen in the fall of 2013. This was a major life milestone for Silvia and she was so proud to be an official member of the United States of America. And she could not wait to start voting in the next election! In fact, Silvia and David never missed an election or even a primary since that day. Silvia really started to show her passion for giving back and volunteering when she started as a tutor with the Citizenship Preparation Program for students preparing for the citizenship interview and exam. This program was coordinated by Sister of Charity, Sr. Peggy Nulty. Sr. Peggy describes Silvia as “no doubt the best tutor volunteer I had. Her expertise and patience was remarkable, as was her generosity, giving of her time and talent. Over the 9 years she volunteered, she prepared about 30 students and they all passed the citizenship exams.” A true testament to Silvia’s huge heart and passion for making the world better through action. On January 13, 2014, Grace Aurelia Nicholson was born, adding one more to the Nicholson brood making Silvia’s heart even more full. She was so happy to have a little boy and a little girl to mold and groom and lead towards greatness. Elias and Grace are her favorite accomplishments and a true reflection of her heart, mind and soul. Silvia later went on to volunteer with the Toms River, NJ, police department as an Auxiliary Police Officer starting in 2017. It was an unpaid position that required that she be sprayed in the face with pepper spray during training, but 41 year old Silvia beat out many other younger applications and finished near the top of her training class in both physical and mental examinations. Silvia loved running and was a part of the Toms River Running Club and Be Fit Gym in Forked River, NJ, when she and David moved again. She started running to lose some baby weight, but it quickly turned into a passion. She loved early morning runs with her running buddies, no matter the temperature. The pinnacle of her running career was her completion of the Atlantic City Ironman 70.3 on David’s birthday (9/15) in 2019. When Elias began swimming competitively on the Ocean County YMCA swim team, she threw herself into another volunteer role. This time, as an officially certified USA Swimming official. Her motivation? To be on the swim deck with Elias while he swam. But as an official, she supported all swimmers on deck admiring their achievements and passion for the sport. She always brought positive energy to the swim deck, silently chanting for swimmers and celebrating their triumphs, big or small. And in the off chance that she was in the crowd, her homemade signs cheering on Elias were things of beauty and totally embarrassing for Elias. Silvia was a beacon of light and positivity to all who met her. Her smile could light up a room and her sense of humor could make you roar. She was humble beyond measure, but maintained an intellect that regularly out-smarted her husband. She loved to travel and visited many new places with her family. She was the creative heart of her family of four. School projects were a breeze for her. Outside of the volunteerism already highlighted, she was constantly chipping in at Elias and Grace’s schools. She was a true original and one of one, and we will sorely miss her. RIP Silvia Guadalupe Nicholson Donations to the Toms River Police Department on behalf of Silvia Nicholson https://www.tomsriverpolicefoundation.org/donate/for-silvia Donations towards an educational fund for Elias and Grace Nicholson https://www.gofundme.com/f/education-fund-for-elias-and-grace-nicholson?utm_source=customer&utm_medium=copy_link&utm_campaign=p_cf+share-flow-1