Violet J. Niggl

Violet J. Niggl, a remarkable and vivacious woman with an extraordinary literary talent, passed away peacefully on November 30, 2022. She would have turned 97 on December 16. Born Violet Manicone in Brooklyn, NY, she was the daughter of Italian immigrants, Pasquale and Edwina Biscaro (both deceased) and the sister of Laura Manicone Odell (deceased). She was a graduate of the New York Institute of Finance and the American Institute of Banking. Prior to following her dreams of becoming an award-winning writer, she had a 42-year career, holding executive positions in both the public and private sectors on Wall Street and in Canada. After marrying her second husband, Conrad Niggl, in 1963, Violet held dual citizenship in the United States and Canada. There, she graduated from the Institute of Children’s Literature and York University in Toronto, where she earned a B.A. in humanities, religious studies and sociology at the age of 61. Violet and Conrad, a pilot for Lufthansa Airlines, were married for 30 years. After his death, she moved to Fort Myers, FL. For her, life was meant to be lived and loved wholeheartedly. Violet’s passions were classical music, writing, reading, travel, photography ... and love. In an effort to cope the loss of her husband, Violet was encouraged to use her flair for writing to document her journey of grief and reinvention, which resulted in an anthology of stories titled “Beyond Coping.” She adopted the pen name Violeta Barrett, and her debut book “First Love” was published in English and Spanish in 2011. The memoir won the National Association of Book Entrepreneurs Pinnacle Book Achievement Award, the Book Publicists of Southern California IRWIN Award for Most Romantic Campaign, the books-and-authors Award for romance/memoir, and the Great Southeast Book Festival honorable mention for a biography/autobiography. She was named the National Association of Professional Women’s Woman of the Year 2012-2013. Violet’s second book, “Angel in Disguise,” was published in 2013 for readers who have also experienced loss. It tells a story of recuperation, focusing on how animals can help us heal and how that love goes beyond human relationships. Violet is survived by her loving nieces Janet M. Odell (Apollo Beach, FL) and Janine T. Odell (Sun City Center, FL), grandniece Robin Lohkamp (Rochester, NY), grandnephew Cody (JoAnn) Odell (Sun City, AZ), a great-grandniece and three great-grandnephews, and her community of dear friends, literary fans, and fellow artists. Violet lived out her last four years at Amavida, a senior living community in Fort Myers, FL, that is “designed for those who have a love of life,” which perfectly sums up how Violet lived hers. She will be greatly missed.

Violet J. Niggl

December 16, 1925 - November 30, 2022