Rumson resident and area businesswoman Incoronata “Nada” Raffa Koenigsberg died March 29 at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York City, at 67.
Nada was born in Borgo Giardinetto (Troia), Italy and immigrated to Long Branch as a child, attending Long Branch Schools and Monmouth University. She had a passion for retail and business at a young age and started working while in school at Baldanza’s Bakery, and later as an adult at Alexander’s Department Store before pursuing a career as a corporate buyer at Macy’s in New York City. While working at Alexander’s Department Store she met her soulmate and future husband Carl. Together, they later opened two businesses in Long Branch, including Cake Bake and Roll and Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory in Pier Village.
In between her business endeavors, Nada pursued different careers throughout her life including a career in real estate and teaching ESL at Wall Township Public Schools and Spanish at Long Branch High School.
Nada was known as a very loving, caring, strong-willed and hard-working woman who was loved by so many near and far. She traveled frequently home to Italy, as well as throughout Europe and Asia. She also loved to spend time at the beach locally as a member of Chapel Beach Club and attended many shows and concerts in New York City. She was an avid Beatles fan.
She was predeceased by her loving husband Carl Koenigsberg and her parents, Michele Raffa and Maria Carmine Di Brino and mother-in-law Dorothy Koenigsberg.
Surviving are: her daughter Cara Marie Koenigsberg, stepchildren Sheri and her husband, Brian Anselmo, and Gary and his wife Kattya Koenigsberg; three grandchildren, Jared Koenigsberg and Brendan and Sean Anselmo; her sisters, Celeste Raffa and her husband Orazio Daniele, Angela Raffa and her husband Michele Candela and Nella Raffa and her husband Renzo Daniele; and her nieces and nephews, Rinaldo Andrea Daniele, Mariangela Candela, Maurizio Daniele, Gianmichele Candela, Davide Daniele, Gabriele Candela and Daria Daniele. She was also loved dearly by her extended Raffa and Koenigsberg family in both the US and Italy, as well as by her beloved labradoodle Decklin.
Funeral services will be private for the Raffa and Koenigsberg families. In lieu of flowers, please send donations in memory of Nada Koenigsberg to support Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center. Online donations may be made using the following link: http://mskcc.convio.net/goto/NadaKoenigsberg. Checks, made payable to Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, should be mailed to:
Attn: Leadership Giving Programs, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, Office of Development, PO Box 27106, New York, NY 10087. Please indicate on the check memo line that the gift is in memory of Nada Koenigsberg. Please visit www.fiorefuneralhomes.com for condolences for the family.
