Louis Allen Nichols, or as many knew him, Papa Lou, has set forth on his ultimate journey, embarking from this world at age of 96.

Papa Lou often quipped that youth is simply a state of mind. In his view, he was perpetually youthful, a man whose days were numbered not in years but in the countless joys and trials that he embraced with equal fervor.

At 50, Papa Lou was diagnosed with serious heart disease, hospitalized after a collision with a semi-truck, lost his job and suffered a failed marriage. Yet it was these experiences which led to an awakening and what he deemed his rebirth. He turned his focus to studying the interconnection of mind, body and spirit. He began to meditate. He studied scriptures and the writings of philosophers. He began to practice living a life of gratitude, keeping a journal to record daily the five things for which he was truly thankful. He later simplified his gratitude routine to a daily practice of saying “thank you, thank you, thank you.”

When most physicians recommended a heart bypass to address his heart disease, Papa Lou instead chose to adopt the Pritikin diet -- dropping some 60 pounds from his 6’ 2” frame-- and begin an exercise regime. At first, he could only walk a block. Then a few more. Then a slow trot. But grit and determination prevailed. Soon, he was running and over the next few decades he completed over 300 races and ran his last marathon in his 70s. When asked the secret to his longevity and active lifestyle, he'd say it was "beans and greens, treadmills and weight machines." With a steadfast commitment to his Mediterranean-inspired diet and his robust exercise regimen, he defied the conventional bounds of aging and was able to put off a heart bypass for 15 years. Even in his mid-nineties, Papa Lou kept up his three times a week vigorous gym workouts -- performing weight-machine reps of 100 -- to the awe of many. He always said he wanted to live until at least age 96 because “that’s how old Jack Lalane was when he died.” Mission accomplished.

His “rebirth” at age 50 led him to pursue many adventures. His days were colored with the deep greens of nature where he biked, fished, canoed, and camped under Florida's canopy. He inducted his grandsons, Alex and Andrew, into Papa Lou’s Knights of the Forest and shared with them the joys of a late night campfire and tubing in Florida’s crystal spring waters. He spent vacations hiking the Appalachian Trail. He was an avid scuba diver who meticulously recorded over 700 dives. He and his wife Ellen, a willing participant in many adventures, made annual diving treks to Grand Cayman where locals named a reef after Papa Lou. He dove with hundreds of hammerhead sharks in the Cocos Islands. He was particularly proud to continue diving at age 88 (noting that Jacque Costeau stopped diving at 87). He shared his love of underwater exploration with Ellen as well as his children, grandchildren and dive buddies.

His was a life etched with the ideals of simplicity and harmony. He lived modestly with the goal of sharing his wealth with those who needed a helping hand (and his beloved alma mater, the University of Kentucky – see link below for his wonderful essay on his 90 years as a UK basketball nut). You could find him in the soup kitchen or joining a church choir at age 82. His legacy is a rich tapestry woven with the threads of his beliefs—faith, gratitude, forgiveness, and the unyielding pursuit of the present moment.

Lou Nichols leaves behind more than an impressive chronological account of years; he leaves a blueprint for living fully and demonstrating that you are never “too old” to experience a rebirth. The story of Papa Lou remains a testament to the fact that life, in all its ebb and flow, is the grandest adventure of all. By his own account, his final decades were his best. His wife Ellen, his children Cathy (Michael Arones), Don, and Tracy (Gerald Sanchez), and grandsons Alex and Andrew as well as numerous friends and nieces are grateful to have been part of Papa Lou’s grand adventures.

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