Kathleen Ann Nissan

Kathleen “Kathy” Ann Nissan, 78, of Chico, California, passed away at home on September 21, 2026. In the final weeks of her life, Kathy repeatedly shared that she wanted to be at home and to be with all four of her children. She was able to have both wishes fulfilled.

Kathy was born in Mendota, Illinois, to Vernon Andrew and Lorraine Jane Becker and grew up in Sublette, the oldest of five children. She became the first person in her family to graduate from college, earning a B.S. in Speech Correction from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign and an M.S. in Speech and Hearing Sciences from Bradley University. Education remained important to Kathy throughout her life, and she continued her studies and professional development throughout her career.

At the University of Illinois, Kathy met Samir Nissan at a student party. They married in 1968 at the courthouse in Champaign and later at St. Ephrem Chaldean Catholic Church in Chicago, where they were married by the same priest who had been the pastor of Samir’s church in Baghdad. They began their married life while Samir was completing his doctorate and Kathy her master’s degree, continuing to build their family as they moved first to Peoria and then to University Park, Illinois. In 1980, they realized their dream of moving to California and made Chico their home.

Kathy devoted much of her professional life to children. As a speech and language specialist, she worked in Northern California schools for more than three decades, including more than 28 years with the Butte County Office of Education and Chico Unified School District. Even after retiring in 2017, she continued working in private practice.

At home, Kathy and Samir spent countless hours tending their landscaping and fruit trees. Kathy turned their harvests into jams, dried fruit, and things she baked and shared. Her son Andrew developed his own love of baking in part from what he learned from her, and years later Kathy often baked with her granddaughter Hannah.

Kathy and Samir also loved to travel, exploring many parts of the world and often inviting their children and grandchildren to join them. Even during the final summer of her life, Kathy attended three World Cup games with family and spent time with her children and grandchildren, expressing how grateful she was for that time together.

Family was at the center of Kathy’s life. She kept in touch across generations and distances and was always delighted to hear from one of her children. Her children knew they could call to share news, ask a question, or seek her advice. Her grandchildren knew a grandmother ready with a game, something to bake, a treat, a surprise, or simply time to spend together.

Kathy was also a keeper of her family’s history. She spent years researching genealogy and preserving an extensive photographic record of the family. Her son Andrew plans to continue the project she began.

Kathy is survived by her husband of more than 58 years, Samir Nissan; their four children, Andrew (Rita), Tina (Ian), Tracy (Camelia), and Ramsey (Yesenia); her five grandchildren, Waylon, Hannah, Iris, Nico, and Luca; and her younger siblings, Mark, Sara, Randy, and Chris Becker.

Kathy’s life was filled with children taught, places traveled, gardens tended, photographs preserved, food made and shared, and generations of family she worked so carefully to keep connected. Most of all, she leaves behind a family that knew how much she wanted to be part of their lives—and how delighted she was when they wanted to be part of hers.

For Samir, the woman with whom he shared more than 58 years remains a guide in the life they built together: “You are my torch. You will continue to be my guide.”

A Religious Ceremony will be held at St. Clare Parish, 902 Lexington St, Santa Clara, CA 95050, US, on October 6, 2026, from 11:00 am to 12:00 pm.

A Committal Service will be held at Santa Clara Mission Cemetery, 490 Lincoln St, Santa Clara, CA 95050, US, on October 6, 2026, from 12:30 pm to 1:30 pm.