Edyth N. Lee, age 90, of Las Cruces, New Mexico, and Terre Haute, Indiana, died Wednesday, March 6, 2013. “Nicky” as she was fondly known, was born August 5, 1922, in Santa Rita, New Mexico, as a member of the generation “born in space.” Her parents, Luke and Minniebell Dickinson Nichols, raised her in Hurley, close to Silver City, where her mother’s family were early New Mexico pioneers and lawmen.
Nicky graduated from the University of New Mexico with a degree in music education as a member of Chi Omega sorority. At UNM, she met and fell in love with fellow student, David Lee. They were married in Terre Haute, Indiana, in 1944, just before David was shipped to Europe as an Army officer during World War II. In Indiana, David and Nicky raised four children, Niki (Mott) and Margaret (Grant), now of Las Cruces; John, now of Brazil, Indiana, and Ruth (Bedi), now of San Juan Capistrano, California.
Sharing the joy of life summarizes Nicky’s personality. She is remembered by family and friends as always smiling, non-judgmental, and welcoming to a wide variety of characters in her home. Her Mexican food was loved by all. Her musical tastes varied from Dave Brubeck jazz music to symphonies by the Great Masters. She enjoyed spending time with her family, participating in charitable organizations, sky ribbons, and, of course, playing the piano.
Nicky remained active in the music, theatre and church communities at the local, state and national levels and belonged to PEO, Indiana Music Teachers Association, SAI, the Country Clubs of Terre Haute and was active as a Rotary Ann. She earned a master’s degree in music education from Indiana State University and continued to teach piano and music privately and through the University. When she moved to Las Cruces to live with her daughter, Margaret, and to be close to Niki and her husband, Jim, she continued to be active with PEO, Rotary, community theatre and the Las Cruces Symphony.
Besides her children, Nicky is survived by grandchildren Cameron and Jameson Mott, David and Joe Lee, Jim Wells, and Devin and Brittany Bedi, as well as numerous great-grandchildren and also by Niki Mott (husband Jim), and Margaret Grant, all of Las Cruces; John (wife Dawn) of Brazil, Indiana, and Ruth Bedi (husband, Tony,) of San Juan Capistrano, California.
