In Memorium: Nicole Florescu
Former French Teacher
The Florescu family mourn the passing of Nicole Florescu, a former Headmistress at Ecole Bilingue in Belmont and French teacher at Milton Academy, Noble and Greenough (1976-1980) and Thayer Academy (1981-1986) in Braintree, Massachusetts. She was the parent of Nicholas, John, Radu and former Noble’s graduate, Alexandra Florescu Lobkowicz (1981) and grandmother to 16 children.
Nicole was born in Paris in 1928 and lived in France during the Nazi occupation. She later travelled to the UK in 1950 to study English and while there met Radu Florescu, a graduate of Philosophy, Politics and Economics at Christ Church College, Oxford and later Professor of European History at Boston College from 1951 - 1986. He was also an author of more than 15 books on East European history, (most notably, In “Search of Dracula” which became a best seller in 1972) and he was Honorary Consul in Boston for his native Romania for 15 years.
After marrying Nicole in 1951 in Oxford, they emigrated to Austin, Texas where Nicole did administrative work at the University of Texas Library while her husband began his PhD. The couple eventually moved to Massachusetts where Nicole started her teaching career while supporting her husband’s philanthropic activities related to Romania. She also helped her husband by typing various handwritten manuscripts for his publishers.
Nicole was a highly respected and dedicated teacher, beloved by her students not only for her academically demanding french language courses but also for her sense of humor, care and compassion. She was an enthusiastic hostess and an excellent chef (admired for her distinctive cheese souffles and mousse au chocolat), who often entertained while balancing a challenging career and raising four children. She was a pillar of strength to all who knew her, who often evoked lessons of hardship she experienced during WWII in Nazi-occupied Paris setting an example for others on how to face life’s challenges with tenacity and dignity. She died in Houston Texas at age 94 and is sorely missed by her friends, colleagues, children and grandchildren.