Nikki Colleen Dunifer

HERMON - Nikki Colleen Dunifer, 67, died unexpectedly on Sunday, April 12, 2026 at a Bangor hospital, surrounded by loved ones. She was born March 23, 1959 in Westbrook, Maine, the daughter of Jean A. Colson (Smyth) and Vernon Paul Rushe.

Nikki was one of nine children born to Jean. She loved every single one of her siblings immensely, and she had a very special bond to her brother Joe and sister Jeanie.

Following high school, Nikki met Bruce Kimball and they married in 1983. Bruce later joined the Air Force and was stationed in Alamogordo, New Mexico where they would travel with Elizabeth, Nikki's daughter from previous relationship whom Bruce raised and loved as his own, and in August 1985 their daughter Crystal was born. Though the marriage ultimately did not last, Nikki and Bruce remained friends and she always kept a very special place in her heart reserved just for Bruce.

Upon returning to Maine in 1987, Nikki went to work for John T. Cyr in Bangor and she was well-known by all of her students as the "super cool bus driver" for several years. She was a big kid herself. Nikki met her husband Duane Dunifer Sr. while employed there and they married in 2001. They would be married until Duane's passing in 2023. Through this marriage, Nikki gained 3 children that she raised and loved as her own. After having to step away from bus driving due to a shoulder issue, she went to work at the Country Market in Hermon where most of the patrons called her "mom". She was very loved by her entire community.

Nikki enjoyed crocheting beautiful blankets for everyone, spending time and laughing with loved ones, playing cards, camping, fishing, mini road trips, scratch tickets, and she absolutely loved all animals, especially cats.

It is difficult to put Nikki's colorful life into a short summary as she was larger than life in a tiny 90-pound body. Nikki's legacy is her humungous heart, her motor mouth, and her awesome personality; definitely not her cooking skills which she so kindly passed onto her children. She absolutely loved helping other people. She was so happy to help anyone in need and to offer whatever she could, even if it was the last of something she had. She was a little spitfire - very quick witted, spunky, crude, absolutely hilarious. Everything to Nikki was a joke, usually a dirty joke, and she came by that rightfully so. Every day Nikki would say "I know I was put on this Earth to make people laugh", and everyone that was lucky to have known her can agree with that statement. Nothing made her happier. Nikki's sense of humor was unmatched. She was one of a kind, that's for sure. She lived her life on her terms and always had a blast in doing so. Though Nikki was never serious, she was also as tough as steel. Nothing could get that woman down. She saw the light, the beauty, and the positive side all things and she tried to encourage others to have that mindset, which is admirable.

There was a shift when she passed. Nikki will be missed tremendously by so many.

In addition to her parents, Nikki was predeceased by her daughter, Elizabeth Godschalk (Lawson); her brother, Kenny Thompson; a set of twin siblings stillborn, and her, husband Duane Dunifer Sr. Surviving, are her daughters, Crystal Scott and husband, Andy of Dexter, Danielle Dunifer, of Corinna; sons, Duane Dunifer Jr. and fianceé, Heather Kennedy, of Bangor, and Christopher Dunifer, of Carmel; brothers, Joseph Foss and wife, Sherry, of Bangor, Paul Thompson and wife, Jenna, of North Carolina, Shawn Pinkham and wife, Marcia, of Stueben, Vern Brann and wife, of Florida, Jeff Rushe and wife of Florida; sisters, Jeanie Hardison and husband, Raymond, of Sullivan, Margaret "Peggy" Newbury, of Brunswick, and Rachelle Mamzelle, of Florida; grandchildren, Anthony, Jade, Noah, JJ, Logan, Arthur, Duane, Dylan, Jaxson, Neveah, and Thomas; several very loved nieces, nephews, and friends as close as family; very special, best friend, June Mclain, of Hermon and very special friends, Lisa Harvey, of Hermon, and Charlie Gibbs, of Newburgh.

Mom and I want to say a big thank you to everyone that has been there for her during these past couple of years, as she'd mentioned previously. Your love and support kept her going, it was everything to her.

There will be a celebration of life announced at a later date. Condolences to the family may be expressed here, at BrookingsSmith.com.