Cartoonist and writer Nicole Hollander passed away on April 23, 2026, just shy of her 87th birthday. She was treated for respiratory illness and dementia at an assisted living facility.

She was born Nicole Marilyn Garrison on April 25,1939 in Chicago to parents Shirley and Henry Garrison, a labor activist. She married Hungarian Socialist Paul Hollander and kept her married name after their 1966 divorce.

Nicole became known for her syndicated comic strip “Sylvia,” and later books featuring Sylvia.

I remember Nicole as using her talents to help raise money for causes she believed in, especially Chicago National Organization for Women’s (NOW) fundraisers with auction items.