Francesca Nilsen Obituary - Visitation & Funeral Information

Francesca Nilsen, 56, of Houston, passed away Tuesday, February 9, 2016. Francesca Ann Nilsen, 56, of Houston, passed away Tuesday, February 9, 2016 in Austin, TX. A Celebration in honor of her Life will be held Saturday, April 2 from 10:00 AM to 12:00 PM at the Houstonian Hotel located at 111 N Post Oak Ln, Houston, TX 77024. Please join us for a light breakfast snack, eulogy speeches, and a slideshow history of highlighting her life. Francesca (Ricci) was born Saturday, August 8, 1959 to Frank and Virginia (Savich) Ricci in New London, CT. Francesca was preceded in death by parents Frank and Virginia Ricci. Francesca is survived by her daughter, Lina Nilsen of Dallas TX, Sister Karen Ricci of Groton CT, and Sister Robin Renner of Bethel CT. Francesca met Terje Nilsen when she worked for Teleco in CT, whom is the father of her daughter, Lina Nilsen. Francesca was a die-hard entrepreneur and inventor. She dared to start her own business out of her home in Houston and succeeded so admirably. Francesca became the "Linen Queen" of Houston and grew Distinctive Details into the most Extravagant Linen Rental Company. She had a knack for running a business and her strive for quality, elegance, and perfection drove her to the top. Anyone who ever met Francesca knew she was sassy, bubbly, effervescent, strong, tough, determined, full of heart, passionate, driven, hardworking, energetic, vivacious, optimistic, charming, a firecracker, hardheaded, and occasionally let out her wry humor. Francesca was a great cook and loved sharing her meals with her friends; if you knew her you have probably enjoyed one of her many amazing dishes! Francesca always had a spunky outfit to match her spunky personality and could somehow pull it off; she loved fashion and building a unique wardrobe. Francesca loved to explore and travel out of the country with Lina, especially to sunny beaches and her lakehouse in Austin. To unwind from her busy work life you could find her getting massages, riding her road bike, laying by her pool, walking the dog, listening to smooth jazz, or to Lina play the piano. Francesca's greatest love was her daughter, Lina. Francesca sourced most of her strength from the accountability of raising, providing for, and setting a great example for Lina. Her best message was to never quit and always finish what you start. Well, a life is beginning as another is ending... Francesca lives on through her daughter, instilled with the same strong, passionate, optimistic, entrepreneurial spirit. Francesca understood the importance of health and fitness and inspired Lina from a young age. Lina is now one of the top personal trainers at Trophy Fitness in Dallas, TX. Francesca was the woman who woke up and asked "what's going to happen to me today"? She approached life with this attitude and put out fires daily. Nothing was too big of an obstacle for her -- when she fell down, she got right back up. No one knew a stronger woman than Francesca Nilsen. She had too much pride to ever admit, as hard has she tried, she was losing the battle to alcoholism; some battles are just too big to win. I'm sure through all the great moments in her life, she does not want to be remembered by this disease. The courage of her struggle is one we will never know. Instead of focusing on any damage or hurt that was caused over the latter years of her life, she would want us to focus on the positive moments that live on in your memories. In the last year of her life, she opened herself to Christ, read devotionals daily, and began attending church. Two weeks before she passed, she expressed her love and acceptance to her daughter and they ended on good terms. In lieu of flowers, please make contributions in her memory to: The National Association for Children of Alcoholics (NACoA) is a 501 (c) 3 non-profit organization, and all contributions are fully tax-deductible. https://www.givedirectcharity.org/donate/?cid=522 -Select option "I would like to dedicate my donation to someone special, in memory of Francesca Nilsen" "Send a notification of your gift to" Lina Nilsen 300 N. Akard St Apt 2011 Dallas TX 75201.