All Virginia Hyer, 94, of the Carolina House, wanted is a slice of good pizza. Not just any pizza, but a slice from Nunzio's, her favorite pizzeria in Long Branch, New Jersey. Every Friday night that she lived there, her and her family would order a cheese pizza from Nunzio's for dinner.
Her life has taken her to many different places, physically and emotionally. She met her late husband, Pete, at a roller skating rink when they were both 16. She gave birth to their first son while Pete was fighting in WWII. After he returned, they had four more children, including a set of twins! She has overcome the loss of her daughter, who passed away after just a year of life, and the loss of Pete 15 years ago. Their home was always open to anyone and everyone: it was viewed as the gathering point for their community. After they retired, her and Pete moved to Florida where they spent time with their daughter. When he passed way, she moved to North Carolina and has lived there ever since.
She hasn't been back to New Jersey for more than a decade. Of all the memories she has and all the things she could ask for, it all comes back to the pizza...and her craving got stronger every day. "Once it's in your hands, you don't wanna put it down. I would give anything to have it again," said Virginia.
On December 14th, 2011, Jeremy Bloom's Wish of a Lifetime and Brookdale Senior Living threw Virginia a pizza party...complete with Nunzio's pizza! The pizzeria creatively found a way to ship some frozen slices overnight so they could be warmed and tasted fresh for her when they got there. Nunzio's surprised her with a T-shirt that is going to be framed with photos from the party and hung in her room.
Virginia finally tasted her beloved pizza again and celebrated with her friends and family. When she took her first bite, she closed her eyes and said, "Ohhh Nunzio's!" The memories came rushing back and as she ate, she told story after story about her days in New Jersey. She ate her fill and was thrilled to know that there was some extra that could be saved for later.