Nicholas Golubovich

Nicholas Golubovich (78), of Phoenix, Arizona, passed away on January 9, 2025. Nick was born on April 10, 1946, in the Bronx, New York City to Lena Bosco and John Golubovich. Nick grew up and lived in Astoria until he enlisted in the United States Air Force in 1966. Nick was stationed in Biloxi, Mississippi and Greenland. After his service, Nick married Evelyn Morales. Though this relationship was not permanent, they had two daughters, Gail and Michele. Nick—as he put it—drove out West and should have continued to San Diego, but instead stopped in Phoenix, Arizona. Nick met Sylvia LaPaglia, his current wife of 39 years, and had another daughter, Rachel.

In New York, Nick worked for Union Carbide. He also drove a taxi. In Phoenix, Nick worked at Community Hospital of Phoenix, where he met Sylvia. Nick also worked in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia for one year. When he returned to Phoenix, Nick worked for the City of Phoenix as a stationary engineer until he retired in 2015.

Nick was an avid fan of the New York Yankees. When Nick wasn’t watching his Yankees, he was listening to Frank Sinatra.

Nick is preceded in death by his parents, John and Lena; his sister, Linda; and too many canine companions to list here. He is survived by his wife, Sylvia; three daughters, Gail Griemsmann, Michele (Jimmy) Williams, and Rachel (Jason) Sampayan; and three granddaughters, Victoria, Nadia, and Taina.

Nick will be remembered for his many quirks, including preferring dogs over people and his encyclopedic knowledge of classic movies, mafia lore, and baseball stats. However, he will be remembered most for embodying Frank Sinatra’s “My Way”— “I faced it all and I stood tall and did it my way.”

A gravesite service will be held at the National Memorial Cemetery of Arizona, 2929 E. Pinnacle Peak Rd. Phoenix, AZ 85024 on Wednesday, January 22nd at 12:30PM. Reception to follow.