Carol Zoe Cajka

Carol was born in Los Angeles, California to Byron and Ada Bateman. She spoke fondly of her childhood, riding the red trolleys around Los Angeles and taking trips to the beach. After the death of her father, Carol moved with her family to Fontana, California, where she graduated high school and went to work as a secretary. She married Jack Nuckles in 1959 and began assisting with the bookkeeping of the family business, Merit Oil Company in Bloomington, California. She and Jack were blessed with two children, Ron and Rhonda.

Carol later returned to college to obtain her RN certificate of nursing, and she went on to work in this field for many years in many nursing capacities, including general and surgical nursing with a reputation for respectfully caring for her patients. Carol later worked as a medical risk management consultant after moving to Dallas, Texas, and later operated her own risk management business assisting various legal entities representing doctors and hospitals. Upon retiring from the medical field, she turned her considerable talents to cake decorating, catering, and teaching classes on those subjects. She excelled in all of her roles, but Carol's primary focus was family - the love of her life and husband of 40 years, Rudy Cajka, and her children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren.

She met Rudy in 1982 and with him, was able to joyfully pursue her favorite hobbies of traveling and cruising the world - especially France, Italy and the UK - culinary classes and cooking. Never one to back down from an adventure, Carol and Rudy also became dedicated RV travelers, and Carol often proclaimed how proud she was of being the primary driver.

Throughout all of her undertakings, Carol most loved spending time with her children, Ron and Rhonda and grandchildren. She enjoyed each holiday season with a special energy and enthusiasm with her family. It is often said that the kitchen is a place to make memories lasting a lifetime and she made many memories cooking alongside Ron and his wife, Randee and her daughter, Rhonda cooking delicious dishes and savoring the experience of being together.

Carol and Rudy enjoyed many happy years in North Texas, but recently relocated to Las Vegas in order to be closer to Carol’s family.

Carol is survived by her loving husband Rudy Cajka, her son Ron Nuckles and his wife Randee, daughter Rhonda Budge and husband Eric, her beloved grandchildren Ron Nuckles, Jr. and his wife Breanna and Ashley Pehl and her husband Steven, and her great grandchildren Korbin, Zoe, Zac and Quinn. She is also survived by her brother David Bateman, Rudy’s sister Marg McCall, her nieces Jeannie Merriman-Monreal and Kim Sharabura and many other extended family members to whom she was known as dearest “Auntie Carol”.

The family would like to extend thanks and appreciation to the doctors and staff at Centennial Hills Hospital in Las Vegas. A private celebration of life will be held at a later time. Carol will be deeply missed by many and we invite you to celebrate her remarkable life as a wife, mom, grandma, aunt and friend, by sharing a memory on this site and signing the guest register. In lieu of flowers, we ask that you make charitable donations in Carol’s memory to St. Jude’s Childrens Hospital.

Fond memories and expressions of sympathy may be shared at www.palmcheyenne.com for the Cajka family.