Esther Anne Nickles

Celebration for Esther Robbins Nickles will be 12:00p.m., Saturday, November 15, 2025, at Destiny Life Church, Claremore, Oklahoma. Esther passed away peacefully on November 6, 2025. She was 87 years old.

Esther Anne Robbins, born on October 3, 1938, in Claremore, Oklahoma, she was the daughter of Orvel James and Virginia Maxine (Love) Robbins. Esther attended school in Foyil, where she graduated with the class of 1956. Her commitment to education continued at Draughon Business School, and in 1996, she proudly obtained her LPN license.

Esther's career began in various roles, including employment at McClellans 5and10, Jefferson Standard Life Insurance, Claremore Hospital, and Humpty Dumpty. Following her time in nursing school, she dedicated herself to reflexology, a vocation she pursued until her retirement in 2000.

On September 23, 1960, Esther married Thomas Dwight Nickles, and together they established their home in Claremore, Oklahoma. Throughout her life, Esther remained devoted to her family and found joy in the simplest of pleasures. She loved to sing traditional Gospel music, and played the piano as a young woman, and later in life. She had a beautiful singing voice, and shared that with churches and family. Her love of music carried on through her children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren. She enjoyed sewing, quilting, and cultivating her garden, from which she harvested and canned vegetables. Esther’s homemade jelly, a family favorite, showcased her nurturing spirit and love for her loved ones.

Her grandchildren were her pride and joy, and Esther cherished the time spent with them, creating memories that would last a lifetime. Known for her caring nature, she often sought out vitamins and supplements to promote the health and well-being of her family, even if they were not always eager to embrace her good intentions.

Esther is survived by her daughter, LaFonda H. Bly and her husband Richard; her son, Thomas D. Nickles, Jr. and his wife Lori; her grandchildren, Ashley Renee Elmore and husband Anthony, Zachary Ryan Smoots and his wife Anna LaMar-Smoots, Thomas Donovan Nickles and his wife Mariah Arielle, and Ethan Lee Nickles; and her great-grandchildren, Thomas Dexter Grafton, James Murphy Smoots, Theodore Liam Grafton, Finnigan Leigh Good, and Eleanor Ryan Smoots. She is also remembered by her brother, James G. Robbins and his wife Barbara; her sister, Rosetta Sperry; and several nieces and nephews. Esther was preceded in death by her grand parents Henry Washington and Birdie (Lucas) Love; parents, Orvel James and Virginia Maxine (Love) Robbins Holman; her brother, Orvel E. Robbins and wife Patricia; her husband, Thomas Dwight Nickles, Sr., and great-grandson Ty Grafton.

As the legacy of Esther Anne Nickles lives on through her family and friends, she will be deeply missed for her loving spirit and dedication to those she held dear.