Nicole Cohenca Lidji

Nicole Cohenca Lidji was born in Cairo, Egypt, on March 16, 1928. She died peacefully in Dallas, Texas, on March 8, shortly before her 95th birthday. A wonder filled life occupied time between those dates.

Born and raised in Egypt, her family was part of the large Sephardic Jewish community. After WWII, Nicole married Albert Lidji and returned from their honeymoon to find their homeland at war with the newly created State of Israel. The newlyweds became refugees and fate brought them to Dallas in 1951 where a welcoming community convinced them to settle. Starting a new life in her early 20s, she committed early to making Dallas home for her family. Nicole’s first of three boys was born shortly after her arrival in Dallas.

A refined and beautiful woman with a wide inviting smile, Nicole starting making lifelong friends in her new home. And trying to accept that the way her boys would grow up in Dallas would be very different than the way she grew up in Cairo. She had a very hard time with the idea of her boys jumping on their bikes to ride around the neighborhood alone looking for something to do; something unthinkable in 1935 Cairo. But slowly, over time, her accepting nature and curious mind led her to ultimately tolerate, if not understand, baseball, football, cowboy movies, and the Three Stooges.

For many years she served as a docent at the Dallas Museum of Art, taking particular joy in giving tours to foreigners in any of the 4 languages in which she was fluent. Nicole was an accomplished painter, whose works were always for her satisfaction and not for public display or sale.

Nicole is survived by the large loving family she created. Her three sons and their wives: Alan and Shari Lidji, Brian and Fay Lidji, and Craig and Delise Lidji. Her grandchildren (and their spouses) Barrett (Ally) Lidji, Eric (Julie) Lidji, Caroline Lidji (Matt) Jordan, Nick (Haley) Lidji, Sophie Lidji and Sadie Lidji. And her great-grandchildren Caroline Lidji, Birdie Jordan, Jack Lidji, Louise Jordan, Minna Lidji, Sam Lidji and Clark Lidji. And her many nieces and nephews around the world.

Nicole’s family want to express their deep appreciation and affection for Haymanot Kebrom and Zwdnsh Dibaba Feysa for the loving way they helped care for Nicole so that she could continue to live in her own home. In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made to the Dallas Museum of Art in Nicole’s name.

A memorial service for Nicole will be held on Monday March 13 at 2:00 at Temple Emanuel.

Fond memories and expressions of sympathy may be shared at www.Sparkman-Hillcrest.com for the Lidji family.