Nina Grego Marshtein, 63, of Charleston, SC, entered into eternal rest on Thursday, June 25th, 2026. Though she did not receive the longevity her family so hoped for, her life was nothing short of shenanigans.

She was born on July 16th, 1962 in Canonsburg, PA to the late James Michael Grego and Elizabeth Marie Gailey Grego. No one, however, has ever heard of Canonsburg, so she always just said Pittsburgh. She is survived by her older brothers Mark (Marcia) and John (Rhonda). Nina spent her Navy brat childhood moving up and down the east coast before settling in Charleston for the remainder of her life. She attended Bishop England High School, instilling in her a fear of nuns so intense, her daughters would later joke it was why she was so eager to convert to Judaism for marriage. After graduating and leaving the horror of habits behind, Nina attended the College of Charleston. There she made lifelong friends, studied art history then geology, and honed her razor-sharp wit. She spent a year studying in Japan where she drank tea from jade cups and became fluent in Japanese.

She had an extensive, celebrated career in environmental sciences that expanded four decades. From project manager at GEL to running SCS’s Charleston office, she was renowned in her community for her steadfast leadership. Within Charleston County, and likely other neighboring counties, Nina was famous for her eggnog. Her family asks that if you mourn Nina, to also mourn her eggnog because they will not be making it.

On the more kosher side of Nina’s life, she is survived by her loving husband of 39 years, Alexander, their two daughters, Elizabeth and Gabriella, and her gremlin Frenchie, Gnocchi. Alex knew from their first date that Nina was the woman he was going to marry. She was an active, doting mother who believed in homemade Halloween costumes, extravagant birthday parties, and turning her children into her sarcastic matches. She was an avid cook, baker, gardener, and she enjoyed seeing how many people she could fit in her beloved Mini Cooper before driving like the true Italian woman she was. She loved anything British, and her family is concerned Antiques Roadshow UK will be taken off the air from lack of viewership in her passing.

Most importantly, Nina was resilient. Even in the face of adversity, when she wasn’t sure how she might fare on the other side, she always persevered. She laughed in the face of death and lived more lives than a cat. She never met a stranger, though her eldest daughter joked she’d talk to a lamppost if it spoke back. She was the embodiment of the indomitable human spirit, and her passing is as if a light has gone out in the world. Her family asks that donations be made in her name to Charleston Friends of the Library.