Obituary of Estelle Nitikman

ESTELLE ZUHN NITIKMAN (1929-2024) Estelle Zuhn Nitikman, beloved mother, grandmother, and great-grandmother, passed away on September 28, 2024, at the venerable age of 95. She is survived by her children Pam Young, Leslie Sokolow (Jeffrey Sokolow), and Jay Nitikman (Lisa Bunin); granddaughters Esther Sokolow (Scott Murphy) and Miriam Portman (Eli Portman); great-granddaughter Aviva Portman; and numerous nieces, nephews, great nieces, and great nephews. Estelle was born in 1929 in the prairie town of Greeley, Colorado, to immigrants Peyser and Lillian Zuhn. Estelle was the youngest of three sisters: herself, Agnes and Shirley. Estelle and her family grew up during the Great Depression. Her father was a chicken reseller who bought chickens from local farmers and sold them at markets in Denver. As an adult, Estelle frequently joked she’d eaten enough chicken to last a lifetime and refused to eat any more, although she gamely cooked the bird for her family. In 1953, Estelle arrived in Los Angeles as a single gal looking for adventure. She married the love of her life, Arthur Nitikman, in 1954 and raised a family with him in Los Alamitos, California. Following Art’s retirement, they traveled the world, adventuring in far-flung places such as Turkey, Japan, Australia, the Arctic north coast of Canada, and beyond. After 53 loving years of marriage, Art passed away in 2007. As a widow, Estelle continued to enjoy life with her family and an ever-expanding group of friends. She spent years living in Laguna Woods and then finally settled at the Heritage Pointe community in Mission Viejo. To the end, she retained her wits and sense of humor, making her a favorite among both residents and staff. Estelle was the beloved and treasured matriarch in her family’s lives. She loved playing bingo, mahjong, and Rummikub. She was an animated storyteller of family history. At her childhood dinner table, her father would often tease her and her sisters to stop making funny faces or they would get stuck that way. In his honor, every family gathering required a group photo, with each person displaying their funniest face. She was famed for her unique Easy Cheesy casserole, which is now the signature dish of three generations. A recent joy to Estelle was attending her granddaughter Esther’s wedding to Scott in May 2024 in Los Angeles. We cannot imagine a future without her, but our memories of her remain vivid, and our hearts are full of love and appreciation. We love you, Mom.