Dorthy J. Nicolai passed away suddenly on Jan 3, 2015 at the age of 81. She was a loving wife, mother and grandmother. After her birth in Portland Tennessee her family moved to Indianapolis. She grew up on the south side and graduated with honors from Manual High School. Dorthy worked as a legal secretary at Lillys and enjoyed ballroom dancing on the weekends where she met Norman Nicolai. They married soon after. During her continued work at Lilly’s she gave birth to her first daughter Veda in 1962. One year later her daughter Shari was born and she transitioned into part time work for a Manpower temporary services. When her girls were in high school she went to work at LS Ayers in the cosmetic department. She worked there for several years and this ended up being her favorite season of employment. In her late 50’s  she took classes in floral arranging and worked part time in the floral department at Marsh. She loved flowers, especially yellow roses. Dorthy loved collecting and creating beautiful things. This was a life long passion as evidenced by her determination to sew elegant dresses whenever her daughters had special events. She retired early to care for her husband during his 10 year battle with Alzheimer’s. He passed away in 2005. Three years later Dorthy experienced another significant trial when her daughter Shari was diagnosed with breast cancer.  Sharl’s six year battle of cancer ended in 2013 when she passed away at the age of 50. Dorothy’s deeply broken heart over Shari’s suffering was evident to all who knew her. She was dearly loved and will be missed by her family. She is survived by her daughter Veda J. Tobias and her grandchildren, Sarah R. Tobias 26, Timothy W. Tobias Jr 24, and Rachel E. Tobias 21.