It is with great sadness that The Arc of Essex County’s Stepping Stones School shares the news of the passing of speech therapist Nicole Fiorilla. She died peacefully on February 11 surrounded by her family.

A Bloomfield resident, Nicole grew up in New Jersey and studied at Kean University, where she received a B.A. in Speech Correction and an M.A. in Speech Language Pathology. She began working at Stepping Stones School in Roseland in 2007, and in the 16 years that followed she has helped countless students and families by teaching speech and feeding skills to infants, toddlers, and children with intellectual and developmental disabilities.

“Nicole has been a vibrant, dedicated, and integral part of our Stepping Stones family for many years,” says Principal Sue Brand. “She was smart, funny, so kind, and always the biggest source of positivity at Stepping Stones. We will miss her deeply.”

Per the family’s wishes, if you would like to make a donation to The Candle Lighters in Nicole’s memory, please visit The Candle Lighters donation page.  Please note that your donation is in memory of Nicole Fiorilla; an acknowledgement of your tribute will be sent to her family members.