Norma "Nikki" Elise Penny Riddle

Norma (Nikki) Elise Penny Riddle, 88, died peacefully on July 18, 2026. She was born on Long Island, NY on April 13, 1938, the daughter of Carolyn (Marcusson) and Norman F. Penny. She decided to go South for college, and it was while she was attending Hollins College in Roanoke, VA that she met the love of her life, Richard W. Riddle, who preceded her in death in 2001. They met on a blind date, and it was love at first sight. Nikki and Rich moved to Plantation FL where they raised their 3 children, Norman C. Riddle (Jeanette) of Lake Lure, NC; Elise R. Steagall (Michael) of Cary, NC; and Daniel R. Riddle, of Denver, CO. She felt blessed to have 6 grandchildren: Marie, Sarah, Joseph (Caitlin), and Marianna Riddle; and Lauren (Joe) and Tori Steagall, all of whom looked forward to their yearly handmade socks that Nana would knit for them. She also had 4 great grandchildren: Sam, Lucy, Ben and Maggie Riddle. She was preceded in death by her sisters, Carolyn Hamel and Pamela Lapham. In the 1970s, Nikki and Rich decided to move to the mountains of NC. It was in Maggie Valley that she used her love for all things crafty and opened the Cardinal Knit Shop. She was always knitting something and those around her were the lucky recipients of handmade scarves, sweaters, cell phone covers, you name it, she knitted it. She and Rich had many memorable vacations with their siblings which always included a somewhat friendly card game or two. In the 1990s they moved to Raleigh where she worked for the Department of Revenue along with Rich until they retired in 2000. She spent her retirement years knitting with her friends, the Knit Wits, or swimming at Pullen Park pool with the other Merry Mermaids. She was an avid tennis player and snow skier and also enjoyed following her favorite teams: the St Louis Cardinals, the Miami Dolphins and the Carolina Hurricanes. She was a devoted wife, loving mother and adored grandmother and she will be missed by all who knew her. A memorial service will be held on Saturday, October 17th, at Grace Church in the Mountains in Waynesville, NC, time of service to be determined. In lieu of flowers, please send a donation to Transitions Life Care, 250 Hospice Circle, Raleigh, NC 27607 or online at http://www.transitionslifecare.org/donate. They provided the family with tremendous support over the last few months.