By the family

Oct. 27, 2026: In a personal inscription to his friend Dr. Nicholas A. Pace in his book Life of Christ, Bishop Fulton J. Sheen paid him a singular tribute, describing him as “a modern St. Luke.”

Dr. Pace, a physician who helped transform the treatment of alcoholism and addiction and who made his home in Bronxville for 40 years, died September 27, 2026. He was 93.

Born October 25, 1932, in Astoria, Queens, Nicholas was the son of Anthony Pace, an Italian immigrant, and his wife, Angela. His parents operated the Diamond Dress Shop and later a delicatessen. Proud of his family's modest beginnings, he grew up admiring his maternal uncle, Dr. William Colangelo, whose example helped inspire his pursuit of medicine.

He graduated from the University of Maryland School of Medicine in 1959 and completed a fellowship in rheumatology at New York University. An internist and rheumatologist, he maintained a private medical practice in Manhattan throughout his career.

During the 1960s, while serving as medical director of General Motors' New York Executive Offices, Dr. Pace became interested in helping employees struggling with alcoholism. At a time when the disease was often regarded as a moral failing, he advocated medical treatment, compassion and the support of Alcoholics Anonymous.

His work helped bring corporate management and organized labor together in support of treatment programs that allowed employees to seek recovery without sacrificing their livelihoods. The initiative contributed to the development of hundreds of labor-management programs nationwide and helped lay the groundwork for Employee Assistance Programs.

He also served as a medical consultant to other corporations, including McKinsey & Company, Great Lakes Carbon Corporation and Paramount Pictures. At McKinsey, his work extended beyond addiction medicine to include executive health, occupational medicine and the development of international emergency medical services.

Dr. Pace subsequently devoted much of his career to educating physicians about addiction, encouraging doctors to learn directly from people in recovery. He continued teaching until age 90. In 2021, the Caron Foundation honored him with its Lifetime Achievement Award.

His expertise also brought him into contact with two presidential administrations: he advised President Gerald Ford's White House physician and assisted First Lady Nancy Reagan's Chemical People Project.

Yet medicine was only one expression of his restless curiosity.

Dr. Pace and his wife, Carolyn, moved to Bronxville in 1975, making their home in a storybook Tudor house on a curve in the road. They remained there for 40 years before relocating to Tuckahoe in 2015. Both enjoyed attending classes and cultural events at the Italian Cultural Center, sharing an enthusiasm for learning that continued throughout their marriage.

Nicholas and Carolyn on their 60th Wedding anniversary

In 1980, Dr. Pace undertook a transformation of the family's front lawn. The grass lawn had struggled under the sun, and he envisioned something entirely different. Eschewing the pesticides and fertilizers associated with traditional lawns, he began installing rocks and terraced planting beds, creating what he called his “Rock Garden.”

A member of The Working Gardeners of Bronxville, he did much of the work himself, with Carolyn's help. In its early stages, the garden resembled what his daughter Victoria jokingly called a “moonscape.” But over the years, as the plantings matured, the rocks became part of a lush, colorful landscape that complemented the Tudor architecture. By the 1990s, the garden had become something of a neighborhood attraction, with passing motorists stopping to admire it.

Dr. Nicholas tends to his rock garden

His gardening reflected the same independence of mind that had distinguished his medical career: a willingness to question accepted practices and the patience to pursue a different vision.

At the family's summer and weekend home in Southold, Long Island, he undertook another ambitious project, creating a garden labyrinth that he approached as an act of prayer and contemplation.

Music was another lifelong passion. In high school, he played the trombone and later fronted his own band, “Nick Pace and The Melody Aces,” as its pianist. His love of jazz remained with him throughout his life.

His intellectual interests were matched by a gift for friendship. Among the books in his personal library was a copy of Private Lives in the Imperial City, inscribed by the literary critic John Leonard in 1985: “For Dr. Nicholas Pace from one book-man to another, with admiration and gratitude for saving my life.”

His longtime office manager, Sandy Toner, who worked alongside him for 38 years, remembered that appointments frequently ran late because he gave every patient the same unhurried attention, regardless of fame or status.

She also recalled the difficulty of deciphering his handwriting. Once, she transcribed “atrial fibrillation” as “a trial of fiber.” Dr. Pace laughed, then patiently explained the medical term, turning an office mishap into another opportunity to teach.

His Catholic faith was a sustaining presence throughout his life. As a Knight of Malta, he shared with Carolyn a longstanding commitment to the order's charitable and spiritual mission. During a 2003 pilgrimage to Lourdes, France, he served on its medical team, caring for sick pilgrims.

Within his extended family, Dr. Pace occupied a cherished place as uncle, mentor and patriarch. His niece, Dr. Joanne Pace, recalled how he once saved her from drowning, pulling her from underwater at a lake. She described him as a “Renaissance Man,” admiring his intellectual curiosity, wide-ranging interests and wisdom offered without judgment.

His nephew Anthony John D'Onghia, son of his late sister, Marie D'Onghia, credited him with helping guide the family after his father's death, encouraging their education and remaining a source of support through generations of family milestones.

Dr. Pace is survived by his wife, Carolyn; his three children, Anthony V. Pace, Gregory N. Pace and Victoria S. Pace; his son-in-law, Dr. Harry G. DeMeo; and two grandchildren, Nicholas L. Pace and Stefani Pace.

Dr. Pace and Carolyn celebrated their 67th wedding anniversary on September 5, 2026, just weeks before his death. He considered her his best friend and partner in life. His affection for her found expression in small, private gestures. When they moved from their home, love notes he had written to her over the course of their marriage, some dating back decades, were discovered tucked into drawers and books.