Nazzerino Coluzzi Jr.

Nazzerino Coluzzi Jr. AKA Nazz, Nat, Boots, Bootsie January 19, 1928 – January 15, 2020 Nazzerino Coluzzi Jr., of Fort Washington, Maryland passed away on January 15th 2020. Beloved husband, father, grandfather, great-grandfather and friend to all. Nazz was preceded in death by his parents, Nazzareno Enzio Coluzzi and Luisa Marie Vita, his oldest brother Francis Joseph Coluzzi and brother Roland Angelo Coluzzi. Nazz is survived by his wife of 64 years Annabell Coluzzi, his son Christopher Coluzzi, daughter Lisa Coluzzi; three granddaughters Aurora Peters, Alyssa Martin, and Katherine Baile; one great granddaughter Riley, and his youngest brother Raymond Anthony Coluzzi. Nazz was born on Authur Place, in Northwest Washington, D.C the second of four sons born in the United States to Nazzareno Enzio Coluzzi and Luisa Marie Vita. He was very proud of his Italian heritage; his father immigrated from Italy, as well as his mother’s family. Nazz was born and raised in Washington, D.C. during the height of the depression. He worked from a very early age, first serving newspapers as a young boy all across town and on Capital Hill. After school he worked at the Library of Congress and on Sundays served as an alter boy at Holy Rosary, at the time an Italian parish, located at 3rd and F Street, N.W. After graduating from Eastern High School, Nazz served in the United States Army assigned to the 11th Airborne Division, Company B of the 511 Parachute Infantry Regiment in 1946. Nazz was honorably discharged in January 1948 and awarded the World War II Victory Medal. After earning his Bachelor of Commercial Science in 1952 from Benjamin Franklin University, Nazz continued his education throughout his career earning diplomas along with honorary degrees. In 1955, Nazzarino was wed to Annabell at Holy Rosary. For over 64 years, they devoted their lives to each other and their family. Nazz dedicated 30 years of service to the federal government, which included 18 years at the Federal Housing Administration and 12 years at the Department of Education. At the Office of Education, Nazz was responsible for development, implementation and operation of all systems and nationwide operations in the Central Office and ten regional offices. He architected and implemented the Guaranteed Student Loan Program, a program still in effect today. In January 1970, the Office of Education gave its largest ever group performance award to the 25 member Systems Operations Section headed by Nazzerino Coluzzi, Jr. Nazz served as the Director of Government Services Divisions for Payco General American Credits, Inc. after retiring from the federal government. Nazz was steadfast in his years of service to the federal government and improvement of programs across the nation. Nazz enjoyed annual visits to Ocean City, Maryland. His family honored the many years of memories of their time spent at the beach with a dedicated bench on the boardwalk near 13th Street where Nazz and his family frequently stayed. He was a fan of art and loved expressing himself through his individual paintings, many of which were displayed at Harmony Hall. He enjoyed reading about history and often shared his own rich memoirs with friends and family. He was the best historian and tour guide of Washington D.C., with personal accounts about the city’s evolution and life from the 1930’s to present day. Nazz acted as President of Oxon Hill Recreation Center Pool for many years. During summer afternoons, you could find him poolside sharing stories with friends. When not at the pool, he could be found walking at the Tucker Road Park and Recreation Center or sitting on his back deck listening to music or a baseball game on the radio. He was a member of Knights of Columbus John F. Kennedy Council 5482; served two appointments as Grand Knight and many years as pitcher for their baseball team. Always dedicated to his family, Nazz cared for his mother and father throughout their lives and was a generous and loving brother. He provided life lessons and guidance to his children and grandchildren, showing love and devotion through time spent together. We are thankful for the joy, laughter, and love he brought into the lives of all the people who knew him. To send flowers or a memorial gift to the family of Nazzerino Coluzzi Jr. please visit our Sympathy Store.