The Maplewood Township Committee held a moment of silence at its October 6 meeting in remembrance of longtime resident and volunteer Nanci Buscemi who passed away at Columbia Presbyterian Hospital in New York City, on October 1.
Mayor Vic De Luca called Buscemi “a part of our Maplewood family,” noting her many years of service on the Zoning Board and, later, the Historic Preservation Commission.
“She was an engineer,” said De Luca, “and a passion of hers was the STEM program. She really wanted to get young women and people of color involved in engineering and building. She did a lot of work in her field in that regard.”
Read Buscemi’s full obituary here:
On Thursday, October 1, 2026, Nanci Buscemi, 67, of Maplewood, New Jersey, passed away peacefully at Columbia Presbyterian Hospital in New York City, surrounded by her loving children, family, and dear friends.
Born in Brooklyn, New York, on June 11, 1959, Nanci was welcomed into the world as the first daughter of her loving parents, Joan and Salvatore Buscemi. She was cherished by her maternal grandmother, Winnie Meissner (with whom she proudly shared a birthday), and her paternal grandmother and namesake, Nunziata (Nanci) Buscemi.
Nanci moved to Staten Island as a young woman, where her journey into higher education became a profound testament to grit, independence, and sheer resolve. Forging her own path to earn her GED, she went on to enroll at the College of Staten Island. While encouraging other determined students working toward their high school equivalency diplomas, and worked at the Procter & Gamble citrus plant to support herself through school.
What began with an appreciation for art, literature, and philosophy soon transformed when an aptitude for mathematics led her to engineering. Nanci earned her Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering from the College of Staten Island in 1987. With tireless drive, she worked full-time, commuted, and persevered while pregnant with her first child to finish her coursework, earning her Master’s Degree in Structural Engineering from Columbia University in 1993 as one of only thirteen women in her graduating class.
Nanci went on to forge a distinguished, 40-year career as a Licensed Professional Engineer, establishing herself as an accomplished leader and trailblazer in a heavily male-dominated field. Right out of college, she fearlessly climbed iconic regional bridges, performing structural inspections on the Queensboro Bridge and cable testing on the Williamsburg Bridge. Throughout the 1990s and 2000s, she lent her design expertise to historic projects with premier firms, contributing to West Point military facilities, the JFK AirTrain system, and new U.S. embassy buildings. In the wake of 9/11, she directed critical blast-effects analysis and structural vulnerability assessments for the nation’s key bridges, tunnels, transit hubs, and airports. She later founded her own firm, and contributed to major regional works and hurricane risk reduction floodwall systems in New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina.
Nanci later joined Burns & McDonnell in Morristown, New Jersey, where she served with distinction as Senior Structural Engineer and Department Manager for the New York and New Jersey offices. In this role, she served as a key leader and the Structural Engineer of Record for Delta Air Lines’ landmark $4 billion New Terminal C redevelopment at LaGuardia Airport. Throughout her career, Nanci was deeply admired for her technical brilliance, poise under pressure, and dedicated mentorship of young engineers.
Outside of her professional accomplishments, Nanci was a devoted resident of Maplewood for over 30 years, raising her family and years of service on the Maplewood Zoning Board.
In her retirement, Nanci channeled her lifelong passion for architecture and craftsmanship into serving on the Maplewood Historic Preservation Commission. She embraced new creative pursuits, cultivating her garden and learning to play the piano. She remained passionate about advocating for women in STEM, always believing that hard work, confidence, and perseverance could open any door. Above all, her retirement was crowned by the birth of her beloved newborn grandson, Hudson, her greatest pride and deepest joy. Holding him in her arms was a privilege she treasured beyond words; she delighted in showing his photos to everyone she knew, and her love and protective spirit will walk beside him always.
When once asked what advice she would share from a life so fully lived, Nanci offered words that captured both her sharp mind and generous heart:
“Appreciate all that you have, especially the people in your life. Reach out to people and have fun. Plan. Take care of your health and finances. Listen. Think before you speak. Do the right thing. Stay calm. Project confidence. Balance family, fitness, finances, and fun. Have patience with yourself and others. Be kind. Be happy.”
Nanci will be painfully missed and lovingly remembered by her devoted son, Steven Pearsall, his wife Priscilla, and their son, her cherished grandson Hudson; her loving daughter, Allison Pearsall; her dear sisters, Jeannine Buscemi and Charlene Warner; her closest and dearest friends, Cheryl Matthews, Ellen Looft, and Wayne Grofik; as well as an extended circle of loving family, friends, former colleagues, and all who were fortunate to know her.
A Memorial Gathering was held in Nanci’s honor on Saturday, October 10, 2026, at Preston Funeral Home, South Orange, NJ, followed immediately by a Celebration of Life service.
In lieu of flowers, memorial donations in Nanci’s memory may be made to:
Columbia University School of Engineering, Click here to donate: Columbia School of Engineering
New York-Presbyterian Oncology Department, Click here to donate: NYP Oncology
