Nina Simone Mestas

Nina Simone Mestas (Holmes), age 49, passed away on Thursday, December 14, 2023. She was born on December 21, 1973 in Aschaffenburg, Germany. After moving to the US, she became a long-time resident of Kansas and graduated from Junction City High School in 1992. Nina moved her family to Rio Rancho in 2005 and absolutely loved being surrounded by the beautiful New Mexico mountains.

Nina had a larger-than-life personality and immediately lit up any room that she walked into with her vibrant, free-spirited demeanor and her infectious laugh (which sometimes led to a little snort!). Her impact on people can best be described as a “warm hug” – she was genuine and went out of her way to make others feel included, regardless of their background.

She became a mother at a young age and carried an immense amount of love and pride for her four daughters (who she talked about constantly!). She often doubled as a best friend to them growing up, creating many precious memories together like staying up late talking about boys, shopping for school dances, or singing along to Destiny’s Child in the car.

Nina met her husband in April 2019 at a family BBQ and they married in October 2022. They shared happy years together riding motorcycles, walking in the mountains, and, more recently, making their new house feel like a home (including nightly competitive uno games!). She gained two additional daughters who looked up to her as a mom and respected her.

She was a die-hard Dallas Cowboys fan and had a deep love for animals, especially her Great Dane, Gigi. And no one could deny that she had a sparkle of diva in her – she loved getting her nails done and wearing glittery converses.

Nina was a beloved wife, daughter, sister, mother, soon-to-be grandmother, and friend and will be dearly missed. She is survived by her husband, Leonard, her parents, Hershel and Gabriele, her siblings, Stefan, Michael, and Hirvenia, and her four daughters, Morgan, Darby, Bentley, and Anjah. She’s also survived by Leonard’s family, including her two stepdaughters, Annika, her husband and two children and Clarissa, her fiancé and daughter.

Her service will be on Thursday, December 28th from 10am-12pm at Daniels Funeral Home in Rio Rancho.