Nicole "Nicki" A. Morrison, age 57, of Hamilton, Ohio, passed away Monday, December 22, at The Jewish Hospital in Cincinnati.

Born July 25, 1968, in Dayton, Ohio, Nicki was the daughter of Joseph W. and Carol J. (Long) Heiligenberg.

After graduating from Fairmont High School in Kettering, Ohio, Nicki studied organizational communications at Ohio University, where she met the love of her life and husband of 32 years, Jay Morrison.

Nicki crafted an impressive career as a talented and respected artwork specialist and digital solutions manager, working for graphics companies Johnson and Hardin, World Color, Schawk and SGK before joining Procter and Gamble, where she was a valued member of the company's "Dream Team" at P&G Ventures.

But her greatest and proudest life's work came as a mother to daughter Veda (Bethany) Reister and son Braden Morrison, nurturing, protecting, celebrating and loving them with every cell in her heart.

Nicki was a lover of love in all forms. She was a fierce advocate for the LGBTQ+ community and universally supported all human rights with the spirit of a warrior and soul of a chaplain.

She knew how to make people laugh – and think.

Her voice was a song and her life a dance. She was a passionate fan of live music and seized every opportunity to rock out at concerts with Jay and her besties and even took up crowd surfing at age 54.

Nicki loved planning parties, and she usually was the party. She left a legacy in her beloved adopted hometown of Athens, Ohio, by founding the legendary Palmerfest bash when the university tried to squelch its annual spring party by banning beer sales.

She loved fundraising for charities, being a cat mom, standing up for what she believes in and sitting down in the sand on Tybee Island.

Nicki also liked yoga, volleyball, pickleball, watching Bengals and Buckeyes games and not watching her language.

She was a fan of dark chocolate and light beer (Michelob Ultra, and with a lime, damn it), and was known as the Taco Salad Queen for the signature dish she brought to every gathering.

In addition to Jay, Veda, Braden and Bethany, Nicki is survived by her mother Carol, step-mother Debi Heiligenberg, sisters Lori (Kevin) Anthony, Lisa (Ronnie) Ross, brothers Chris Heiligenberg and Theodore Heiligenberg, brothers-in-law Jeff Morrison, Jody (Lynne) Morrison, JT (Kristy) Morrison and sister-in-law Jaylynn (Matt) Reynolds, along with dozens of aunts, uncles, cousins, nephews, nieces and her cherished fur baby Michelle Obama.

Nicki also leaves behind an enormous network of friends who loved her deeply and counted her as family. She was the one people turned to for advice because she listened with her heart as well as her ears.

She not only was an elite gift giver of both the sentimental and hilarious varieties, she WAS a gift to everyone who knew her – and a few who didn't.

Nicki departed this life with a final beautiful act of donating her organs, leaving this world the way she lived in it, as a hero.

In lieu of a funeral service, a Celebration of Life will be held Saturday, January 31st at the Courtyard by Marriott in Hamilton, OH from 4:30pm-8pm.