Nikie Saffas

Nikie Andronico Saffas was born March 21, 1930, and died May 14, 2026. She is survived by her son George and wife Kathleen, daughter Cynthia and husband Dan First; grandchildren Caleb Saffas, Andriana and husband Ben Lam, Joseph First, David and wife Suzy First, great grandson Nolan Lam, her god daughter Rhea Natsues and many wonderful nieces and nephews.

She was the last surviving sibling of 8 brothers and sisters. Born in Alameda, California into the hardworking Greek immigrant family of Athan and Catherine Andronico. Her father helped bring over younger brothers from Greece, housed them, and helped them get started in their own businesses. She seemed to inherit this helpful hard working ethic, and was often found expending her time and energy to be helpful to others. She volunteered in the Oakland schools with the Head Start program and took a personal interest in her students' families who often were immigrants themselves.

She married “the artist” Andrew G. Saffas in 1950, and started their family soon thereafter. Nikie and Andrew embraced their Greek culture, and together enjoyed Greek music, dancing, and cuisine. She made great tasting Greek dishes and hosted many parties with family and friends throughout the years. Often that included pushing back the furniture to make room for Greek dancing after dinner. They traveled to Greece often, studied native Greek dances, and thereafter Nikie taught Greek dancing to the public, in local schools as well as to the Aitos Greek Dancers, whom she and Andrew performed with throughout the San Francisco Bay Area. Nikie especially supported and promoted Andrew’s art projects...most notable of which was her behind the scenes secretarial, relationship building and translating support in getting Andy's soldier statue to honor the Greek American volunteers who fought in Greece against the Axis powers in WWII erected in the Greek Military Museum in Athens. This was a many years-long labor of love by Andy, his sister Sophia Johnston ( fundraiser extraordinaire) and Nikie.

She had a strong sense of justice, and instilled that in her family, and readily spoke up if she detected injustice in the family or the community she was a part of. She was not afraid to disagree or stand up for what she believed and taught us

to "Question Authority". Not everybody was thrilled about that. She was a great mom. She loved others. She was dearly loved. She maintained her generous, loving and happy spirit to the end. We miss her.