Ms. Nikki Gregory Erdman, 78, of The Villages, FL passed away peacefully Tuesday, September 13, 2022, after a long battle with cancer. She retired at the senior executive level with the National Security Agency at Fort Meade, Maryland. She and her husband, Ervin (“Erd”) Erdman, moved to the The Villages in 2010 from Laurel, MD.
Nikki was born in Portland, Maine on August 17, 1944, to Charles and Athena (nee Droggitis) Gregory. After growing up in the vacation destination, Old Orchard Beach, Maine, she attended the University of Maine. After graduating, she joined the NSA at Fort Meade. During her career, Nikki rose through the ranks and became Chief of ISI and was an alumna of the National War College in Washington D.C. She met “Erd” also with the NSA, and they married in 1996.
Nikki loved to travel, as did Erd, and they marked their travels on a world map. Nikki visited 46 countries, from Europe to the Caribbean to North and South America, as well as Australia.
Nikki retired in 2000, after a 33-year career with the NSA. She and Erd eventually moved to The Villages where Nikki enjoyed newfound hobbies when not travelling, one of which was painting. Through various classes, videos, books and practice, she became a wonderful artist and was partial to painting watercolors in her lanai art room.
Nikki was a great storyteller. Her family and friends enjoyed hearing her many interesting and often funny stories of her adventures. She loved watching cooking shows and making her favorite Greek recipes, enjoyed in her youth, from her mother and yia-yia Stella. She also loved watching all the news channels so she could keep up with current events and assess our country’s safety, undoubtedly an old work habit.
Nikki was a very strong and independent person with a positive attitude, even near the end. We will miss her dearly.
She is survived by her stepdaughter, Nancy Shackelford (Steve) of Ft. White, FL. Three grandchildren, Eric Davis (Alicia) of Newberry FL, Erin Lancaster of Middleburg, FL and Adam Davis (Emmalee) of Roswell, GA. Five great granddaughters, Amelia (14), Kendall (9), Porter (4), Scarlett (4) and Nellie (8 months), nephew Dale Erdman (Margaret) of Bartlett, IL, niece Kim Tannehill of Frankfort, IL, sister-in-law Elaine Erdman, nephew Charles “Chad” Gregory of Saco, ME, niece Nicole Gregory of Arundel, ME and brother, Peter (Zoe) Gregory of Saco, ME along with many other loving family members and many wonderful friends and neighbors. Nikki is preceded in death by her husband Ervin “Erd” Erdman and stepdaughter Ann Powers.
Nikki was interred at a graveside service on Saturday, October 15th, next to her husband, Erd, at 1:30 PM at Hillcrest Memorial Gardens in Leesburg, FL.
In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to Hospice of Marion County, P.O. Box 4860, Ocala, FL 34478, St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital at www.stjude.org/donate or SoZo Kids at www.sozokids.org
