Alicea L. Nixon, 72, of Oak View, California, passed away at home on August 2, 2021. Alicea was born October 17, 1948 in Weinheim, Germany to Ernst Liedtke and Marianne Milbert Liedtke.
In Germany Alicea married James Kinderman, an American soldier stationed there. Their son Michael was born in Heidelberg in 1966, and they soon they moved to California, where Alicea studied English and began working in commercial sales. Again single, Alicea met Tony Nixon at a social event in March 1980. They married in Downey on February 26, 1983. When Tony joined a law firm in Santa Barbara in 1986, they moved to the home in Oak View where they have lived for the past 35 years. An important milestone in Alicea’s life was studying for and then taking the oath to became a US citizen.
Alicea enjoyed the pleasures of living in the Ojai valley: its rural character and scenic beauty, nearby Lake Casitas, the many community activities and amenities, and ready access to the Pacific Ocean. Yet Alicea’s greatest fulfillment arose out of making her home a warm and welcoming place for family and guests. Her infectious laughter was known to all. She loved cooking and baking, decorating with beautifully intriguing objects, making her gardens a calming oasis. Alicea and Tony truly shared these many aspects of their lives; they also volunteered together at their parish, St. Thomas Aquinas.
Alicea is survived by her husband, Tony; her sisters Herta Weisbrod and Gabriele Reinhard; her son Michael Kinderman and wife Marie; her grandchilden Alexandra and Derek Kinderman; her brothers-in-law Mark Nixon (Katie) and Christopher Nixon (Dorothy); her sister-in-law Joanna Freund; her nephews Marcel Reinhard (Sara) and Jason Miranda (Alysia; children Connor and Aubrey). She is preceded in death by her parents Ernst and Marianne Liedtke, her brother-in-law Chuck Nixon, and her niece Christine Nixon.
The family wishes to express its deep gratitude to all the friends and neighbors who have enriched Alicea and Tony’s lives through the years and have provided support through Alicea’s illness. Particular thanks also to Livingston Memorial Hospice, for the attentive, loving care they gave Alicea over the last few months.
Family and friends are invited to a Mass of Christian Burial to be celebrated on Monday August 30, 2021 at 10 am in St. Thomas Aquinas Catholic Church; a reception follows in the Aquinas Center. Both are located at 185 St. Thomas Drive, Ojai. Interment will then be at Carpinteria Cemetery, 1501 Cravens Ln., Carpinteria, CA.