Tecla "Tina" Nicklas

Tecla (Masillo) Nicklas was born July 29, 1949, to parents Anthony Masillo and Tecla Granato. She was the youngest sibling of sisters Blanche and Maria and her brother Vito. They grew up on Long Island, in Franklin Square before moving to Babylon.

Known as Tina to friends beginning in her teenage years, she married Ray Nicklas on June 20, 1971, in Our Lady of Grace Roman Catholic Church, in West Babylon. Tina & Ray raised two daughters – Deborah Anne and Michelle Denise – at their home in Oakdale, New York before moving to Valrico, Florida in 1986. Tina & Ray moved to DeLand, Florida in 1998, and then in 2004 to the Four Seasons at Gold Hill 55+ community in Fort Mill, South Carolina, where they have lived for 17 years.

After a 7-year bout with cancer, she passed on January 7, 2022, surrounded by her husband and two daughters at Atrium Main Hospital in Charlotte, North Carolina. She is survived by her husband of 50 years, Ray Nicklas; her sisters Blanche and Maria (husband Andy); their daughters Deborah (partner Tom) and Michelle (husband Dan); thirteen grandchildren: Christopher, Samantha, Ivan (wife Cecilia), Anthony (wife Tabitha), Yana, Olya (husband Brian), Kevin, Justin, Nadia, Marni, Alyssa, Drew, and Elijah; and two great-grandsons (Trey and Chase).

Tina will always be remembered for her vibrant personality and strong love for her family. She loved to shop, whether browsing, buying, or returning. She had learned Mah Jongg in Oakdale and loved to teach it to new players. She continued to play and to teach in Four Seasons. She enjoyed Bunco and had organized two groups that would rotate houses each month. She sold Avon for many years. Tina & Ray became avid cruisers after Ray’s retirement, travelling the world on thirty-five cruises. They particularly enjoyed cruising with the daughters and once with their grandchildren Ivan, Anthony, Yana, and Olya.

A memorial Celebration of Life service will be held at the Four Seasons community clubhouse at 509 Turquoise Way, Fort Mill, SC 29708 on Jan 29, 2022, at 1PM.

In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made to the Neuroendocrine Tumor Research Foundation (NETRF), https://netrf.org/get-involved/give-now/ where a donation may be made in her memory.

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