Nicholas Leonard Petruzzella passed away peacefully at the age of 83 on September 3rd, 2022. Nick was born on May 16, 1939 in Queens, New York to Maria Manente and Illarione Petruzzella. He had two older brothers, Anthony Bruno and Stephen Petruzzella, both of whom preceded him in death, and four sisters, Rose Willer, Susan Stella, and Louiseanne Wickert, who live on Long Island, New York and Margaret Ferlise, who lives in Lynchburg, Virginia.
Nick was the first of his family to attend college at Antioch College, in Yellow Springs, Ohio, graduating in 1960. Nick married Pat Rhines and in 1959 they had a daughter, Leona. In 1960 they moved to Columbus, Ohio where Nick earned a Doctorate in Physics from The Ohio State University. He worked for the Xerox Corporation in Rochester, New York for a number of years where he was granted several patents. Nick and Pat were divorced after Leona’s tragic passing due to a heart condition, in 1968. After returning to Ohio, Nick became an Associate Professor in the Physics Department at Ohio State until he left to open a printing and duplicating business on High Street, called Zip Services. Nick enjoyed running his own business, and served as president of the University Business Association for several years. He also worked in the campaign of State Representative, Michael Stinziano Sr. In 1973, Nick married Brenda Arnett, a Columbus Public Schools teacher. They had a daughter, Ellen Marie, in 1979. Brenda and Nick ‘s marriage was dissolved in 2003, but they remained good friends.
Nick was a friendly, outgoing man with many friends, a passion for business and physical fitness. During his seventies, he could often be found philosophizing and drinking tea with close friend Farshad Zahiri at his business, Campus Printing. Nick spent his final years in Jackson, Ohio in part to spend more time with his close friend Nick Summers who passed away in 2019. As well as his four sisters, he is survived by Brenda and Ellen, numerous nephews and nieces, and dear friend of many years, Sherrie Burnett, who he lived with in Jackson.
