Obituary of Giuseppina Lounsbury

Nicky Lounsbury (born Giuseppina Fognini), age 91, of Halifax, passed away peacefully after a short illness. Born on April 8, 1931, in Chiavenna, a small historic town in the province of Sondrio, in the Italian region of Lombardy. She was predeceased by her parents and all her siblings, Nino, Mimma, Lina, and Anna. She is survived in Italy by her nephew, Paolo; and nieces, Betty, Loredana, Anna Maria, Sara and Pierangela. She arrived in Canada as a tourist to visit Expo 67 in Montreal. She fell in love with this Country and a handsome teacher, Fred Lounsbury, who became her husband. They lived first in Montreal and then moved to Moncton, NB, where she opened the first high fashion boutique ‘Mona Lisa 1’. Later, she relocated in Halifax, where she opened the second boutique “Mona Lisa 2”. Nicky was famous for the many fashion shows which she organized for different associations always for beneficence, providing the clothes from her boutique, and with the assistance of Dante for hair creations. She was well known in the Halifax and spoke many different languages. She was an opera lover and a gourmet cook. She was Vice President of the Multicultural Council of Nova Scotia and a member of Zonta International (organization with the mission of advancing the status of women). She was an active Member of the ICCA (Italian Canadian Cultural Association) for more than 50 years. Nicky was a very glamorous and stylish woman, with a strong personality, firm beliefs, vast culture, and extreme generosity. She will be missed by everyone who had the good fortune to know her well. Funeral Mass to take place at a later date. Special thanks to Dante Di Mattia, whom she considered as the son she never had, to Dante’s fiancée Karen, to her friend Shane and to the many people that helped her until the end. Rest in peace Nicky, you will be missed.