Robert H. “Bob” Nichols, Sr.

Robert H. “Bob” Nichols, Sr., formerly of Naples and Bonita Springs, died on January 11 in California, after a brief illness. He was 88. He will be greatly missed by his wife of 62 years, Jane, and his two sons, Bob and Jim. He will be interred at the Sacramento Valley National Cemetery in Dixon, CA. Born and raised in New York City, Bob earned a BS in Mechanical Engineering from State University of New York Maritime College. He was the first member of his family to attend and graduate college. In 1957, he joined the United States Navy and was stationed for the bulk of his service in Pearl Harbor. Robert met and married his wife, Jane, while stationed in Hawaii. Upon leaving the service, he joined Sun Oil Company, where he worked as a Manager of Project Management in the Marcus Hook refinery. Later, he led efforts in the construction of Sun’s successful Yabucoa refinery in Puerto Rico. Upon retirement, he and Jane moved to Bonita Springs, Florida, and then Sacramento and Walnut Creek, California, to be closer to their children.

An avid woodworker and master carpenter, Bob hand-built much of the furniture in his children’s houses. He was extremely passionate about the National Park System, and his children credit him with encouraging their love for nature and conservation. An avid traveler, Bob visited many corners of the globe with Jane, and also loved traveling throughout the US.

A generally quiet man, Bob had very strong views on having genuine relationships with family and close friends. He expressed a wish not to have a funeral or memorial service, but rather to encourage those who remember him to take a few moments now to think about someone they care about, and then call or correspond with that person. It would please him very much if his passing resulted in people strengthening their relationships with the living.