Muriel Meleta Nicholson was born on July 14, 1944, in Lennox Bigwoods, in the parish of Westmoreland, Jamaica, West Indies, to parents Edgar and Mabel Gordon. Out of thirteen children, she was the youngest daughter. Although it was a crowded household, her parents always demonstrated hospitality toward others, and it was a mandate in their home that their children learn to do the same. Not only was the practice of hospitality a core principle in the Gordon household, but attending church and developing a personal relationship with Christ—"with clean hands and a pure heart," as their mother often said—was of utmost importance. Despite any challenges, the Gordon household was filled with love, warmth, and compassion from family, friends, visitors, and a community of committed believers. Even during hard times, their faith made them resilient, as no difficulty could match a home built on the foundations of faith and love.

As a child, Muriel was known for being quiet and shy. While her older siblings engaged in various activities, she often found herself climbing trees or crafting clay dolls from dirt—a sign of her resourcefulness and creativity. A crafty young inventor in the making, it was evident that Muriel was not born with idle hands. You could hear her singing "Manners for Jesus" to her clay dolls from the yard—a song she created from her own imagination.

As she grew, she witnessed all of her friends attending secondary school and felt disappointed because her parents were unable to send her. Nevertheless, her mother encouraged her by saying, "Don’t worry, your time will soon come."

Throughout her childhood and young adult years, Muriel attended The Salvation Army at Lennox Bigwoods Corps, Jamaica, West Indies. It was conveniently located across the street from her childhood home and still is to this day. She and her sisters were well known at their corps as the Gordon Sisters who sang as a group. They were frequently requested to sing in various locations and received many encores, standing ovations, and roaring rounds of applause for ministering the gospel through song.

When the opportunity presented itself to travel to the United States through The Salvation Army, Muriel seized it and attended the Markle Evangeline Residence in Manhattan, New York. Operated by The Salvation Army, this large pre-war apartment complex offers housing to women ages 18 through 50 who are either enrolled in school or employed. It was through this opportunity that Muriel’s life began to change.

Her desire to become a woman of significance was fueled by her quest for a career that would reflect her ambition and sense of achievement. The discovery of a career in nursing was her "aha moment," and she pursued it with relentless ambition.

While residing at the Evangeline Residence, she met many people, one of whom was her best friend, Gertrude Warren, who, as a telephone operator, played a pivotal role in connecting phone calls for Muriel when she wanted to speak with her then-fiancé, Neville Nicholson, who lived in Jamaica.

She later married Neville Manasseh Nicholson on December 19, 1970, in Kingston, Jamaica. However, her desire to start a family and thrive professionally came with sacrifice. She postponed the idea of having children for over a decade. During that time, she earned her GED, attended Borough of Manhattan Community College and Long Island University, where she landed a coveted spot on the Dean’s list, and earned a Bachelor of Science in Nursing.

Muriel, who came from humble beginnings and was known for her "no-nonsense" attitude, was not only a determined and diligent worker but also a trailblazer, becoming the first in her family to enter the field of medicine. Nicknaming herself the "Queen of the Pulaski Skyway" as she drove to work, her talent and skill in nursing became evident not only to her patients and colleagues but also to The Society of Nursing Professionals. Due to her professional and educational accomplishments and recognized leadership in the nursing community, she was nominated twice as part of the Who's Who in American Nursing through the Library of Congress in the 1990s. In later years, she earned her Master of Science in Nursing and Health Management through Warren National University in 2007.

After all that hard work, delayed gratification, and sacrifice, Muriel and her husband decided to start a family. However, this came with its own set of challenges. After experiencing her first miscarriage, doctors told her that she couldn’t have children. But God said yes, blessing her with not one, but two daughters: Patricia Nicole Meleta Nicholson Torres, her firstborn and miracle child, and Dana Marie Nicholson, her second and unexpected child.

While she was excited to start a family, other challenges soon followed. At the age of 39, Muriel’s health changed. Nevertheless, no matter what life projected, she rejected negative reports through her enduring faith in God and His Word. Through multiple surgeries and physical setbacks, you could still find her singing along to the hymns on Family Radio, which played 24/7 and filled the house, reading and studying the Bible, writing, cooking and baking her illustrious meals—especially during the holidays, gardening, sewing clothes for herself and her daughters, conducting at-home DIY mini-projects, inventing her own makeshift health gadgets, and enrolling in continuing education programs at local colleges.

It would be remiss not to characterize Muriel as a student of the Word and as someone with a God-given ability to speak prophetically over a situation. Her insatiable appetite for truth, Bible prophecy, and the End-Time Church led her to write and distribute tracts about the End Times at her church and to the public. For one year, she attended Bible school with her daughter Dana, receiving multiple Student of the Month awards, honors, and at graduation, earning the Most Outstanding Student award in 2009. It was not about awards for her, because she knew that “he who wins souls is wise.” So, she did not stop there. In 2020, her quest to reach the masses led her to launch a website called The Way of Escape, detailing what God taught her, through research and study, about the End Times.

Muriel was definitely her mother’s daughter. Following the giving and philanthropic heart of her mother, Mabel Gordon, Muriel was never shy about extending her hand to family and those in need. No matter who the person was, if they were experiencing hardship and it was within her power to help, you could guarantee that she would give—even if it meant depleting her own resources. She believed in Psalm 37:25, which says, "I have been young and am now old, yet have I not seen the righteous forsaken nor his seed begging bread." Using her own resources and the hands and feet of her daughters, she spearheaded yearly outreach Christmas care packages for the sick and shut-in at her church, Jamaica Citadel, located in Queens, NY.

Her life is indeed a testament and is summed up in one of her favorite verses, Philippians 4:13: "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me."

Muriel is survived by her husband Neville, two daughters Patricia and Dana, son-in-law George, grandchildren Gaven, Princeton, and Purity, her brothers Ralph, Clifford, and Basil, her sister Edna, nieces, nephews, cousins, extended family, and friends. Every prayer she lifted up in the secret place before the Most High serves two purposes: some are already fulfilled, while others remain on earth, waiting to come to fruition. As a result, she leaves behind a lasting legacy and an indelible impact on the lives of many for generations to come.

Send to someone

Share this obituary with others

https://everloved.com/life-of/muriel-nicholson/obituary/

Copy