LOVING tributes have been paid by family, friends and colleagues of a much-loved former hotel and restaurant manager who has died after a battle with illness.
Husband, father and popular hotel and restaurant manager Nick Rutigliano worked at the East Anglia Hotel in Bournemouth for 30 years and has been described as a man with a “certain sparkle” who “loved his job and the people around him”.
Born in the stunning southern region of Puglia, Italy, Nick was the eldest of twin boys and was later joined by his little sister.
At 16 Nick started his catering training and left the comforts of home to work in hotels across Europe.
His long and illustrious career took him to some of the top hotels in not only Italy but also France, Germany, Belgium and Switzerland - including the Hotel Normandy in Deauville, France.
After meeting in Bournemouth, Nick married his wife Sue in 1976 and the couple spent 46 happy years together.
A few years after their wedding the pair welcomed their beloved daughter Katrina, by this time Nick had started working at the East Anglia Hotel where he stayed for 30 years until it closed.
He then moved to be restaurant manager at the Connaught Hotel for a further 10 years before retiring shortly after the first lockdown in 2020.
Speaking to the Echo about her late husband, Sue Rutigliano said:
“Nick was a fantastic husband and a wonderful father, he had a close relationship with his daughter and we loved him dearly.
“We also remain close with our Italian family both with visiting them regularly in Italy or welcoming visitors to our home in England.”
Nick passed away peacefully in his sleep with his family by his side on Friday evening, March 25.
“Blown away” by the outpouring of love shared on social media since Nick’s passing, Sue said: “Myself and my daughter are devastated at our loss and miss him dreadfully, but are thankful of all the kind messages and thoughts people have sent in Nick's memory.”
Simon Hartwell, general manager of The Connaught, said: “Nicky was the consummate professional and had a certain sparkle that people just don’t have in hospitality anymore – he was warm hearted and loved his job and the people around him.
“Nicky will be missed by many, but mostly by his loving wife Sue, his daughter Katrina who he adored, and of course by his Connaught family.”
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