Dorothy Jean Nickolai

Dorothy Nickolai passed away peacefully in Petaluma on Friday, October 18, 2019 at 95 years of age.
 

Dorothy was born August 22, 1924 in Rifle, Colorado to Carl and Josephine Nickolai.
Dorothy had a long career of 35 years as a medical microbiologist at the UCSF Medical Center in San Francisco.
 

In 1984, she and her Mother Jo moved to Sonoma from San Francisco. Dorothy became very active in the town serving several years on the Planning Commission; was President of the HOA of Creekwoods Plains for numerous years. An avid reader and gardener. She and her Mom were the very first volunteers at Quarryhill Botanical Garden. They helped with transplanting seedlings obtained from East Asia in the newly established gardens. She volunteered for many years retiring to care for her Mother when her Mother turned 100 years of age. Dorothy continued to visit the gardens and enjoyed taking friends on tours of the garden in the electric carts.
 

Special thanks to all those who cared for Dorothy in recent years. While she was at Nazareth House in San Rafael Alice Lynch, Anna Molina and staff, Kelly and Berkley Sturgeon and staff of Creekside Cottage in Petaluma. Drs. Michael Kwok, Nikola Lozanov, Robert Pettit, Dennis Verducci and Hospice of Petaluma.
 

Dorothy was a kind, loving and caring person who will be missed by her cousin Nancy O’Hara and her many friends.
A very devout Catholic she attended daily mass at St Francis Church and later in the chapel at Nazareth House.
 

Friends are invited to attend Dorothy’s Funeral Mass, October 25, 2019 at 11:00am St. Francis Solano Church 469 3rd St West, Sonoma. Private interment at St. Francis Cemetery, Sonoma.
 

In lieu of flowers, donations in Dorothy’s memory may be made to either Hospice of Petaluma 416 Payran St. Petaluma 94952, St Francis Solano Church or to an organization of one’s choice.

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