Frederick Mario Nizich passed peacefully away on May 25, 2020, In Tarboro, NC., where he and his wife, the former Betsy Ausbon of that city, had lived for the past five months. Mario was born on July 12, 1927, in Springfield, Massachusetts, son of Elvira and Gaspar Nizich. The family moved to Hartford, Connecticut, where he became an Eagle Scout and graduated from high school, also beginning his love of flying while earning his private pilot license during that time. He joined the U.S. Navy in aviation training and received his Navy wings. He was selected to perform a simulated aircraft carrier landing as part of the International Air Exposition in 1948.

In 1949, while assigned to NAS Norfolk in VS-24, he met Betsy in Virginia Beach. They were married three years later, while he was a flight instructor in Pensacola, Florida. Mario served in Quonsett Point, Rhode Island and aboard the carrier FD Roosevelt before resigning from the Navy in 1954 as a lieutenant to fly for United Airlines. In 1957, he was copilot in a crew that successfully landed a DC-7 without landing gear, with no injuries . The crew received United's outstanding flight crew award.

Mario and Betsy lived in Huntington and Cold Spring Harbor, New York, where they became the proud parents of two sons, Gregory Scott (Sharon) of Gilford, New Hampshire, and Stephen Glenn, of Apex, North Carolina. A very great joy of their lives has been their granddaughter, Alexandra Claire Nizich, of Chicago, Illinois.

In 1977, they moved to Cary, N.C., where they were very active members of MacGregor Downs Country Club and St. Andrew the Apostle Catholic Church, where Mario was a member of the parish council and Betsy was the wedding director. He contributed to efforts to allay hunger in Haiti and supported a young South American man throughout the young man's school years. During the last two years of his career with United, Mario flew 747s out of O'Hare Airport in Chicago. Betsy and Mario took that opportunity to explore and enjoy "The Windy City," spending many long weekends there and considering it a second home. After retirement, they continued playing golf with friends and traveling the world.

A life-long artist, Mario served as president of the Fine Arts League of Cary and often displayed paintings in shows at the Page Walker House in Cary. He was able to use his passion for flying by painting the beautiful scenes only visible from aloft.

No funeral services are planned due to Covid-19. His ashes will be interred at a private ceremony for family members. His family requests that in lieu of flowers memorial contributions be made to either Covenant House New York or the Raleigh Rescue Mission.