Family and friends of Nicky Sansone, who died of cancer last week, have spoken about how they will live by the motto she wanted to leave behind: ‘live, love, smile’.

As they paid tribute to the woman who “loved deeply”, had the “courage of a lioness” and the “humour of a mischievous monkey”, they spoke about how Nicky, known as Nix, hung on to life till the last minute.

Friends and family who surrounded her when she “let go” have also turned her passion for life into a banner ‒ with the message ‘live, love, smile’ ‒ which many have shared on social media to honour Nicky who died at the age of 55 on Thursday.

She recorded her life with cancer on TikTok and uploaded her last video on Wednesday, urging her followers to “enjoy life, live, love and smile”. 

Nicky, had told Times of Malta last week that she decided to throw a party in celebration of her life after being told she had only weeks to live. Doctors had told her she might not make it to her birthday on August 24.

Her beloved niece and nephew, Sarah and Nicholas Camilleri, and her sister Luciana Sansone were with her to the very end.

“My brother and I can only remember Auntie Nix with pride. To our great joy, she aways referred to us as ‘her kids’,”  said her niece as she thanked all those members of the family, uncles and cousins and her “incredibly unique friends” for all the support.

“Mum and Nix were inseparable best friends, partners in victories and in defeats. To the very end she remained a tower of positivity with an overwhelming sense of humour that never let her down, not in her times of happiness, not in her worse moments of pain and suffering. She was the joker of the family, the kindest imaginable.

“Christmas lunches without her will never be the same again. I think it is fair to say that to come to know her was to come to adore her. Many people did.”

One of her closest friends was Marcelle Muscat Fenech.

“She was 16 years old when I met her. We were both very young. I was her ‘bestest friend’ and she was mine. We lived through many good and fun times together and through hard times.

She was the sort of person who loved a lot but also felt really hurt when things went wrong. She was a people-magnet. People were drawn to her because she was so much fun. But, of course, there was the serious side too which not everyone got to see,” she says.

She said that Nicky adored her nephew, Nick, and niece, Sarah – the children of her sister who she was very close to. She also loved her father who passed away about four years ago.

“The day before she passed, she dreamt about her dad. She said that he told her: ‘why are your thinking about it? don’t be a softy’ (Għalfejn qed tahsibha, kemm int najxa),” her friend said.

Marcelle was always there for Nicky and was there till the end. 

“She handled her illness with great fortitude and admiration. Until the very end she wanted to be independent and wanted to do everything herself. She was very strong, but it was also painful at times.

She had a way of making every moment brighter

“She had an important message which she wanted to share: that life is there to be lived. We have to live it well and conscientiously and stop complaining about the meaningless things. Her message was to live life to the full and to love with an open heart and smile.

“I hope to carry this with me as I know I will carry Nicky with me as a memory of one of the happy parts of my life.”

Pippa Zammit Cutajar had known Nicky for decades. 

“She was a mad bundle of fun,” she says.

The friends shared lots of fun moment and important life moments.

“Nicky was a fighter. She always came up with these big ideas – like to open a bar – and she did it. I called her Milo: my love.”

Pippa was in hospital the morning Nicky passed away.

“We could not bear seeing her fade away. We were telling her that it was okay to let go,” she recalled, adding: “When you think of Nicky, you think of her smile and that is how we want to remember her.”

Anthony Sultana spoke about how “being around her was always a guaranteed good time, and she had a way of making every moment brighter with her humour and zest for life... But beyond the fun and laughter, she was an incredibly loyal friend, always there when you needed her.”

Another friend, Alison Kelly, met Nicky in her teens and “immediately thought that she was by far the coolest girl in the world back then in the 80s.”

“Her life was far from easy but she was the type to make lemonade plus tequila when handed lemons during the course of her life,” she said.

Alison added that a couple of days before Nicky passed, “she confessed that one of the saddest moments in her life was when my son Jack passed away as a baby and right before she passed, I asked her to look for him and give him a huge hug from mummy,” she said, adding that Nicky was one who loved deeply.

And one of those people she loved was Sue Caruana who said that Nicky’s loss  “left a void in my life that will never be filled by anyone else. She was the love of my life and I was hers. She was like the four seasons in a year to me. We laughed, we loved, we cried and we fought.”

Alison Bezzina described Nicky as someone who had the courage of a lioness and the humour of a mischievous monkey.

“Nicky was a shining example of celebrating individuality. In every way, she stood out – unapologetically embracing her unique qualities with pride and joy. Her boldness and refusal to conform made her truly special,” she said.

Nicky was one of the first women who offered LGBTIQ people a space, through opening Gaiety in Paceville around 30 years ago, and later when she opened Nix Bar in St Julian’s.

Alison added: “She taught us all to live authentically, to never hide who we are, and to be fiercely ourselves. Nicky, you may have left this world, but your vibrant spirit and unforgettable humour will remain with us always. Rest in peace and thank you for the countless moments of joy and laughter. Live, love, smile,” she said.

Nicky’s funeral will be held at Balluta church on Tuesday, August 20, at 9.15am.