Nitza Delgado Hollinger

Nitza Delgado Hollinger, 49, passed away June 20, 2014, peacefully at her home in Nikiski with her husband, two boys and sister by her side.

Nitza was born Sept. 22, 1964, to Justo and Lydia Delgado in New York, New York. She graduated high school from Dublin School in New Hampshire in 1982, and then attended Dartmouth College, where she earned her bachelor of arts degree in 1986.

While at Dartmouth, Nitza was a leader in the movement to create a Latino student organization on campus where Latino students could come together, share their successes, and socialize. That Dartmouth student organization, now known as La Alianza Latina, is still vibrant and thriving today. After working three years in admissions at Dartmouth, Nitza continued her education at Northeastern University School of Law in Boston, Massachusetts, where she earned her juris doctor degree in 1992.

During law school, Nitza chose Anchorage to be the place where she did her internships and soon realized Alaska was home. She moved to Anchorage in 1992 and married her husband, Mike Hollinger, whom she met there during her law school internships. After a short time working in the legal field, she began focusing on her true love — teaching. Nitza’s gift for teaching manifested itself early in life when, as a child, she would line up her dolls and teach to them.

In high school, she taught a deaf classmate to speak French, and a couple of years later, during a college interview unknowingly with that classmate’s mother, was thanked by her. In college, she continued by teaching Spanish as a Spanish drill instructor using the John Rassias method. Soon after arriving in Alaska, Nitza taught junior high school at Muldoon Community Assembly in Anchorage, and she was very active teaching in most churches she attended. Nitza taught people of all ages — whether young or old; she had an amazing ability to connect and effectively teach others.

Shortly after their first child was born, Mike and Nitza moved to Nikiski, Alaska. It was there that they also welcomed their second son into their lives. Nitza chose to stay home with her boys pouring her life into them — caring, loving and homeschooling them as long as her health allowed. Nitza enjoyed cross-country skiing, hiking, kayaking, scrapbooking, reading and spending time with her family and friends who loved her dearly.

She was a woman of faith and loved God with all of her heart. Her friends remember her as one who would always put a smile on their faces. She had much zeal for life and will be missed by all who were blessed to share in her life. During her difficult battle with cancer, she served as an inspiration and continued to give to others through the writing of her soon to be published testimonial book Through the Trials Just Believe.

Near her journey’s end, Nitza offered the following words of wisdom: “In life there are those things that are urgent — that want your immediate attention. Then, there are those things that are important. Never lose sight of what is important. People are important. Relationships are important. Never trade the important for the urgent.”

Nitza is survived by her husband, Mike Hollinger; sons, Michael and Matthew Hollinger; father, Justo Delgado of Wesley Chapel, Florida; brother, Jim Delgado of Washington, D.C.; brother, Joe Delgado of Wesley Chapel, Florida; brother, Eddie Delgado of Laurel, Maryland; and sister, Lydia Delgado of Land O’ Lakes, Florida.

She was preceded in death by her mother, Lydia Delgado.

A celebration of life is at 1 p.m., July 19, at the Kenai New Life Assembly of God Church.

A guestbook is online at alaskanfuneral.com.