Vicki Hickman

Vicki Jo (Martin) Hickman, 74, of Royal Oak, Michigan, passed away on June 27, 2025, after a hard-fought battle with breast cancer. A beloved wife, mother, grandmother, sister, aunt, and friend, she was a gentle soul and faced her diagnosis with courage until the end. She will be forever missed by all who loved her. Vicki was born one minute before midnight, on June 23, 1951, in Glendale, California, to the late James C. Martin and Elsie (Hays) Martin. In addition to her parents, she is preceded in death by her brother, Jerry Lewis Martin, who died serving in the Vietnam War. In the early 1960s, Vicki moved with her family from California to Grosse Pointe Woods, Michigan. She graduated from Grosse Pointe South High School in 1969 and then attended Oakland University, graduating with an English degree in 1973. Vicki went on to work at the Detroit Free Press where she met Timothy Hickman, who was brave enough to ask for a date and then persistent enough to ask again a year later. They were married in 1975. Vicki contained multitudes. She was a selfless, caring mother and "nana", who loved watching her grandkids and listening to their stories, playing endless boardgames, and making them endless snacks. She was a patient, quiet soul whose happiest spot was at her big oak dining table in front of a puzzle or across from a loved one. She made detailed lists, was constantly looking for new music to be inspired by, and did the crossword everyday...in pen. Vicki was a free-thinker who had the ability to withhold judgment and offer quiet support and unwavering love. She was staunch in her belief that all people should be treated with kindness and fairness. While she generally played the straight-man to Tim's hilarity, Vicki possessed a witty sense of humor and if provoked could laugh harder (yet also completely silently) than anyone. She enjoyed a proper Spanish coffee, and beating everyone in rummy or poker. Vicki was a loyal and good friend who always looked forward to lunching or going on a girls' trip. Vicki was the center of the universe to those who loved her. She was a safe place to land for anyone in her orbit, and many felt that she was a second mother who happened to come into their lives at just the right time. Vicki was also spiritual and loved ghost tours, tarot, and psychic readings. Vicki was extremely bright and an avid reader, and she spent countless hours visiting art fairs. She also loved animals, doting on her grand-puppies, and naming all the squirrels and blue jays that she fed in the neighborhood. Vicki leaves all who loved her at a loss as how to go on without her. Vicki is survived by her devoted husband of nearly 50 years, Timothy Eugene Hickman of Royal Oak, MI; daughter Jessica (Charles) Lowther of Royal Oak, MI; daughter Amanda (James) D'Angelo of Royal Oak, MI; son Zachary (Kerby) Hickman of Detroit, MI; brother Larry Martin (the late Jack Mills) of Santa Rosa, CA; sister-in-law Mary Angellotti (the late Edward Angellotti) of Jonesville, MI; grandchildren Levi, Lincoln, Hudson, Atlas; and beloved sister in-laws, nieces, nephews, cousins and friends, including but not limited to: Eva (Mailloux) Stahura of New Port Richey, FL; Margot (Mailloux) Calcut of Grafton, OH; Trude (Bill) Peterson of Negaunee, MI; Judy (Randy) Merrill of Clarkston, MI; Robin (Melissa) Bahling of Farmington Hills, MI; Peter (Tami) Mantyla of Livonia, MI. Following cremation, her remains will be entrusted to the family for private disposition and the family will host a memorial in her honor later in the year, with the date to be determined. As Vicki loved all creatures, big and small, donations in her memory are welcomed by the Royal Oak Animal Shelter. "The past and present wilt—I have fill'd them, emptied them, And proceed to fill my next fold of the future." Walt Whitman

Vicki Hickman

June 23, 1951 - June 27, 2025