Obituary of Lovell Nicholson Kasten

Lovell Nicholson Kasten, affectionally known to all as Nickie, passed away peacefully on Monday, March 18, 2019.  She was born in Barnsboro, Pennsylvania on April 21, 1926 to Walter Richards Nicholson and Pauline Fritz Nicholson.  She had one sister, Imogene Nicholson Hamilton (Imy) who pre-deceased her.  She married Robert I. Kasten (Bob) in the Naval Academy chapel 1953 and was married to him until he passed away in 2004. She is survived by her daughter Kerry Platt (Don), her son Chris Kasten (Janet), granddaughter Kristyn Prescott, her nieces Susan Hamilton Churuti (Bob), and Laura Lidral Fergusson (Alex) and nephews John M. Hamilton Jr., and Courtney C. Hamilton (Kitti), and great nephew John M. Hamilton III (Marina).  She was predeceased by her nephew Scott Deering Hamilton. She was blessed to have many great nieces and great nephews growing up and living in the St. Petersburg area. 

Nickie attended Hillsdale College and Temple University and became a laboratory technologist, notably working with Dr. DeBakey in Houston, Texas during his groundbreaking heart transplant work.   She also worked with Dr. Rubio in his leukemia practice in the early 70’s and then with Life Sciences, a cancer research laboratory in St. Petersburg until her retirement. 

Prior to settling in St. Petersburg, Florida in 1968, Nickie travelled the world with her husband Bob during his navel career.  She and Bob were regular dinner partners on the Sixth Fleet flagship with Prince Rainer and Princess Grace of Monaco.  She fondly remembered Princess Grace, who grew up in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania responding to a polite question about what it was like to be a princess by saying “it is not all it is cracked up to be”. 

Nickie had a very special relationship with her sister Imy and the two of them reveled in living close to each other here in St. Petersburg when Nickie and the Kasten family arrived.  She and Imy worked as volunteers at the Museum of Fine Arts and their funny stories and escapades are now cherished parts of the Kasten/Hamilton family lore. Nickie’s straightforward way of dealing with those she met and knew was a special mix of kindness and empathy.  Her aspiration in life was to be a mother which she excelled at in all regards and which brought her immense pleasure throughout her life.  She was an extraordinary cook, never needing a recipe and never producing a meal that was anything but amazing.  Her family is grateful to Addington Place at College Harbor for the tremendous care given to her over the last years of her life.