Nilsa Mary Fraser was born January 28, 1939 to Donald Fraser and Ailsa Frey in Surrey, England. She was a "war baby" and would share that she could still remember the sound of bombs dropping, including one in her backyard! She remembered the sirens and the bomb shelters. She also had a lot of happy memories from her childhood. She developed a love for animals as a child and worked on a farm when she was young. This love lasted the rest of her life as she fed the squirrels(her babies) daily in her front yard. She shared some interesting stories about attending Catholic Boarding Schools and the nuns who taught there.
Her father decided to immigrate to Canada which they did by crossing the ocean on the ship, the Queen Mary. They then left Canada to come to the USA in September of 1956. Nilsa was 17 years old at that time. They lived in Sarasota Florida. Her parents eventually managed the Lido Dorset in Sarasota, Florida. Nilsa moved to NY to pursue an education in floral design. She had wonderful memories of both the education and the location. Nilsa loved art and music and NY provided an excellent venue to experience that, a love which would last a lifetime.
Nilsa married Art Schreiber and moved to Connecticut where their son, Marc, was born in February of 1963. She later divorced and moved back to the Sarasota/Bradenton area where she lived the remainder of her life. She later married in 1972 to Richard Hickey becoming stepmother to 3 children and forming a 6-person family, a daunting.
Task which she took on with love. The relationship with her stepdaughters would be maintained through the years even though the marriage did not.
Nilsa worked in floral design in the Sarasota/Bradenton area for many years. She moved on to work in the Assisted Living industry as an Activities Coordinator and Personal Assistant. She continued to work until she could not due to health issues.
Her joy in life was GIVING whether by time, food, gifts or just listening. She often donated her artistic skills as needed for one event or another including decorating the clubhouse where she lived for each holiday. She loved nature and as her father, was an excellent photographer. She won awards for some of her photos. She loved ballroom dancing and was able to compete in that field.
Nilsa is survived by her son Marc Schreiber, sister Patricia Barton and niece Christina Allman. She is survived by her stepchildren; Kathy Herbach, Patricia Zylman and Kevin Hickey, as well as extended family and many many friends.
A celebration of life ceremony will be held at the clubhouse at Cortez Villas in Bradenton on February 28, 2026 at 2 p.m.
