LEONORA "LEETIE" NICKELS (nee Kilbane) age 88. Native of Dooega, Achill, County Mayo, Ireland. Beloved wife of the late Richard; loving mother of Kevin (deceased), Brian (Cheryl), Tim (Connie), Laura Chmura (Patrick) and Kate Leonard (George); grandma "Nan" of Erin McLaughlin (Brian), Meghan Haberman (David), Kristen Mitchell (Mark), Katelyn Lancaster (Brandon), Kerry Nickels (Kevin Barre), Michael Nickels (Taryn) and Audrey Leonard; great-grandma "Nan" of Kayley, Colin, Gavin, Grant, Rylie, Quinn, Stella, Weston, Savannah, Isaac, Owen, Emerson and Hadley; sister of Frances, Martha, Mae, Annette and the late Michael and Mary all of Ireland and England; aunt and friend of many.

Leonora, "Leetie" as family called her, was born in Dooega, Achill, Ireland in 1935 to John, "The Postmaster" and Catherine, "Kate" Kilbane. She was the fourth of seven children, and from many accounts, the feistiest. She spent her high school years in Keel on Achill with her beloved cousins, The O'Malley's, where she and her cousin John Pat formulated their plan for America. On May 17th,1954, at the age of 18, she set sail on the Steamship Britannic on her own and bravely came to America. She lived with her Uncle Edward's family, who sponsored her, in Detroit, Michigan. The American Kilbane and Powell families guided and kindly provided for her for three years, until she visited Achill friends in Cleveland, who found her a job at East Ohio Gas Co. so she could stay. Shortly after moving to Cleveland, she met her handsome, kind-hearted "Yank", Richard Nickels at The West Side Irish American Club St. Patrick's Weekend dance. They were married on April 19th,1958, and gave birth to their first of five children in August 1959. Richard was a Cleveland Firefighter who worked side jobs to support and educate five children. While Mom was partial to teaching us Irish traditions with joy, laughter, and sometimes a switch, she welcomed her new Polish family members through marriages with open arms. The lessons of social justice and charity were taught in the home by our "1974 IWA Featherweight Boxing Champion."  When the children were all in school, Leonora went to work to help the family thrive and afford a few treats as well. She came from a family of Shoemakers, Tailors and Seamstresses, and having her children in the best shoes and nice, clean, starched and ironed clothing and bed linens was always important. The Nickels family found ways to travel and see incredible National Parks, even if it was camping across the U.S. while eating skillet casseroles and campfire iron pies. As the children grew and left the nest, Rich and Leonora were able to take nicer trips, in comfortable hotels, and join golf leagues together. They never relocated to warmer climates in retirement, as the grandchildren and great-grandchildren were an important, joyful addition to their lives, and they wanted to be involved in their activities. Leonora's desire to spoil all the grandchildren had to be tempered, and she usually didn't obey. She was incredibly generous, and children never left her company without newfound wealth and/or treats.

Passed away September 29, 2024. Funeral Mass Friday, October 4, St. Mary Church (250 Kraft St. Berea) at 10:00 AM. PLEASE MEET AT CHURCH. Friends may call at CHAMBERS FUNERAL HOME of CLEVELAND, 4420 ROCKY RIVER DR. AT PURITAS THURSDAY 4-7 PM. In lieu of flowers contributions to St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, 501 St. Jude Place, Memphis, TN 38105 https://www.stjude.org/donate/donate-to-st-jude.html?sc_icid=header-btn-donate-now or to the American Cancer Society, 10501 Euclid Ave. Cleveland, OH 44106