Wednesday, December 11, 2019
All of us here at The Nichols Team send our deepest sympathies. We are all grieving at your loss. And it is our loss as well. Fred was one of the most loved and respected Associates in our 36-year history. An extraordinary craftsman. Willing to teach anyone that truly wanted to learn. Always told it like it was. Biting wit. Kept things "loose" on the job. Fred put his mark on so many of our buildings. When there was challenge - he would rise to it. He will always remain a cherished member of our "family". My son, Will, worked alongside Fred for a couple of years before moving on to a different career. Fred took him under his wing and shared knowledge and skill freely. Fred was a tough boss with a tender heart beating under all of that leather skin. The greatest tribute I can give Fred is that there is no one I know that I would have rather had my son work with and learn from. A little story: At our Holiday Party in 2000, many of us ended up wandering back to the bar where a jazz band was plying old standards. As we walked in we saw Fred and Debbie dancing like 19 year-olds! And they had the moves. They looked like they could have been instructors at Arthur Murray's! We just stood and watched in awe. I saw a side of Fred I'd never seen before. The respect I already had for Fred grew to a higher level that night. Fred, we love you and miss you. God Speed, my friend. -John Nichols
