Latayne Steffey Nickels

On May 19, 2024 after a brief illness, Latayne Steffey Nickels left this world to meet her Lord and Savior.  A Memorial Service will be held on Friday, May 31, 2024, at 11:00 am in the chapel of Broadway Church of Christ. 

She was born on May 29, 1937, in a farmhouse in Spade, Texas. She was the daughter of Jesse Steffey and Katie Olene Ratliff Steffey.  She graduated from Littlefield High School in 1953. That same fall, she married her high school sweetheart and love of her life, Don W. Nickels. They moved to Lubbock where her husband attended and graduated from Texas Tech University, while she worked to support them. At his death in 2021, they had been married for 68 years.  Upon his graduation, they settled in Lubbock, raised their family and remained there for the rest of their lives.  They had two daughters, Leesa Nickels Hedge, of Tyler, and Dr. Beth Nickels of Lubbock.

Latayne embraced her chosen career of homemaker with joy and enthusiasm.  She maintained her home for most of her life, without any help.   She was always on the list of volunteers for anything and everything related to her husband and daughters.   She was home room mother countless times, Bluebird and Campfire Girl leader, Sunday School teacher and department supervisor, Mackenzie Junior High School and Coronado High School Tennis mother and driver, and Chairman of the Texas Gamma Chapter of Pi Beta Phi Mother’s Club. 

After raising her family, Latayne became involved in the Lubbock Community. She was a member of Chapter AK of P.E.O, President in 1998-2000.  For 5 years, she served on the Board of Directors of the Sherick, an independent living facility for women, culminating as President of the Board. She attended and served as discussion leader for Bible Study Fellowship for 27 years. She was a dedicated volunteer for the political campaigns of her dear friend, Latrelle Joy. 

She and her husband, Don, were passionate and avid supporters of Texas Tech University. She loved and never missed, at least listening on the radio, a Red Raider football game or basketball game.  Most of their life, they had season tickets to basketball games, both men and women’s.   Latayne was in on the ground floor of Sideline Supporters, a Christian organization that wrote weekly letters of support to Red Raider Football players.  She was especially excited to personally meet Tre King, her assigned player. When they met, he expressed how much her letters meant to him.

Latayne and Don were lifetime members of Broadway Church of Christ and Couples Class #8 where they met their forever friends.

Her daughters want to express their most sincere appreciation to Madison Brinson and Bailey Crouch.  You were angels sent by God to care for our parents.

She is predeceased by her parents, her husband, her son in law, Raymond Hedge and several beloved pets.   She is survived by her daughters, her brother Michael Steffey and his wife, Karla of Lubbock, nephew David Steffey and his wife Katie, of Nashville, TN, niece Michaela Noles, her husband, Kirk and children, Nixon and Pearson, of Lubbock, and several cousins.  

In lieu of flowers, the family suggests memorials to The Children’s Home of Lubbock, P.O. Box 2824, Lubbock, TX 79408, and Rescue Animals Second Chance, PO Box 16514, Lubbock, TX 79490.