Nellie Kuchera
- abbeycremation
- Apr 28
- 1 min read
Nellie Kuchera, age 75, of East Haven, CT, passed away peacefully in her sleep, surrounded by her loving family, on April 25, 2025, in Branford, Connecticut. Born on January 22, 1950, in Rotterdam, Netherlands, she was the daughter of the late Aldegonda and Cornelis van Dijk.
Nellie was a devoted mother to Anthony D’Aiuto, Christopher D’Aiuto and his wife Jennifer, and the late Wendy van Dijk. She was a cherished grandmother to Zachary and Emily D’Aiuto. In her last several years, she and her former husband, John D'Aiuto, grew together as supportive friends. Nellie is also survived by her brother and sister-in-law, John and Gayle van Dijk.
At the age of 16, Nellie courageously emigrated from the Netherlands, forging a new life in the United States. She dedicated a significant portion of her career to working with and supporting individuals with intellectual disabilities. Nellie enjoyed simple pleasures, finding joy in knitting and playing games.
Nellie always placed the needs of others before her own. Her kindness and generosity will be deeply missed by all who knew her.
A private celebration of Nellie’s life will be held at a later date.
In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to Connecticut Hospice and the American Cancer Society.
Dear Nellie,
71 years ago we became friends for life, we promised each other that and we remained that way. We were at Kindergarten, primary school and high school inseparable,. When you moved to the USA with your parents and brother, it was a shock, especially because it was not easy to visit each other at that time, but later it worked out and we met you twice in Connecticut and once you came to Florida when we were on vacation there. We kept in touch all those years, first by letters and later by email.
That's how we shared joys and sorrows. You have known difficult and sad moments in your life, but also many beautiful moments.
You were…