Pauline Marie (Govoni-Nelson) Taddia passed away peacefully on Oct. 13 in Wilmington, North Carolina. She was born on Nov. 12, 1926, in Plymouth, to Adolph and Mary Ellen (Keough) Govoni.
As the eldest of five children, Pauline often fondly recalled her childhood and the special bond she shared with her siblings. As the oldest, she felt obligated to leave high school early to work and help support her family. During her teenage years, she met Merrill Nelson, and they maintained a steady correspondence while he served in the U.S. Navy during World War II. Upon his return, they were married on Nov. 10, 1945, at St. Peter’s Church in Plymouth.
Pauline and Merrill made their home in Plymouth and had three sons: Steven, Michael, and Paul Nelson. She often delighted in telling stories of raising her lively boys in their two‑bedroom house on Howland Street. In 1955, she began part‑time work as a cook at Miramar retreat center in Duxbury and later served for 22 years as cafeteria manager at Plymouth-Carver High School. She took pride in that role, and over the years she was able to watch many of her nieces, nephews, and grandchildren pass through her lunch line.
When Merrill passed away in 1978, Pauline found comfort and joy in her grandchildren. On July 18, 1981, she married Louis Taddia. Pauline welcomed Louis’s two sons from a previous marriage, Paul and Alan, into her heart and treated them as her own. Over the years, the blended family expanded, and Pauline delighted in spoiling her growing number of grandchildren.
Pauline and Louis shared many adventures together — traveling all over the country, family gatherings, and everyday joys — until Louis’s passing in 1999. Throughout all those years, Pauline remained independent, active, and vibrant. She loved reading, knitting, shopping with friends, watching game shows, and visiting family near and far.
For 67 years, Pauline lived in the very house on Howland Street where she raised her sons. A lifelong Plymouth resident, she only moved to North Carolina in the last year of her life to be closer to loved ones. She was a gifted cook, a tireless worker, a devoted mother, a faithful friend, and above all else — the most loving “Nana” imaginable.
She was predeceased by her parents; siblings Robert Govoni, Thomas Govoni, and Joan (Govoni) LeFrancois; her first husband, Merrill Nelson; her second husband Louis Taddia; and her sons Steven Nelson, Michael Nelson, and Paul Nelson.
She is survived by her brother David Govoni; daughters‑in‑law Margaret (Grant) Nelson and Pamela (Gowan) Nelson; grandchildren Lori (Nelson) and JP Perrone, Alan Nelson, Melissa Nelson, Kristofer Nelson, Jennifer Taddia, Bianca (Taddia) Tanner, and Nate Taddia; stepsons Paul and Alan Taddia and their wives Linda and Nancy, respectively; eight great‑grandchildren; and numerous nieces and nephews.
Pauline was a remarkable woman who touched the lives of all who knew her. She will remain in our hearts forever.
A visitation will be held on Saturday, Oct. 18, from 9 to 11 a.m. at Cartmell-Davis Funeral Home, 373 Court St., Plymouth. A graveside service will follow at Vine Hills Cemetery in Plymouth.