Lillian Susan Johnson Nichols died peacefully at her home in Brighton, Colorado on March 17, 2025 at the age of 81, surrounded by her adoring family.  She was born Jan 23, 1944 in Greeley, Colorado to parents, Homer Waid Johnson and Lillian Grace Newell Johnson.  She had one older brother, Jim, and was soon joined by three sisters, Mary, Daisy and Pat.  The youngest child in the family was another son, Don, who was born in 1954.  The Johnson family lived in Ault for most of her childhood.

Called Susie by her family growing up, she was the Salutatorian of her high school graduating class of 1962 at Ault High School.  She then moved to Boulder to attend the University of Colorado.   During her college years, Sue  took classes at two other Colorado schools - Colorado State College in Greeley (now the University of Colorado) and Trinidad Junior College.  She eventually returned to Boulder and graduated from CU, majoring in History and minoring in English.  

During her time in Boulder, she met Charles Nichols. They were married on September 5, 1965 at the congregational church in Ault.  

Lillian, known to all who loved her as "Sue", became the mother of seven children with Charles, spending her days at home with the children until the youngest was in school. As a stay at home mother, she enjoyed all types of crafting – including knitting, sewing, needlepoint and embroidery.  She seldom kept these for herself, and instead chose to give these highly treasured gifts to the people she that she loved.

Once her children were in school full time, she re-entered the workforce as an invoice and order clerk for several local businesses including the Denver May Company, Royal Publications and Katzson Brothers until her eventual retirement in 2013.

Sue was very involved politically as a proud Democrat and served many times as a delegate to caucuses and conventions over the years, as well as an election judge in her local neighborhoods, and campaigned for her favorite candidates. She enjoyed reading and educating herself more than anything else and would absorb books at an astounding rate all throughout her life, endowing all of her descendants with a love of learning that will continue to serve them throughout their lives as it did hers.

She loved living in Colorado and exploring all of our parks and natural wonders.  She especially loved taking a yearly road trip out to Palisade for peaches in August, a place filled with many happy memories from her childhood.  

Sue will always be remembered for her intelligence, curiosity, optimism, strength, humor, kindness to strangers, faith and wisdom.   

Sue was preceded in death by her brothers Jim and Don, and her beloved grandson, Brian. She is survived by her sisters Mary (husband Mike), Daisy (husband Fred) and Pat, as well as numerous nieces and nephews. She is also survived by all 7 of her children, Beth (husband Mark), Bob (wife Rose), Gin (husband Billy), Deb (husband Robert), Martha, Dorothy and Maggie, along with ten grandchildren, ten great-grandchildren and one great-great granddaughter.

In lieu of flowers, please send donations to the Anythink Library Foundation, of which Sue was an avid member at www.anythinklibraries.org/don…

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