Nicholas Charles Nichols of Hutchinson, Minnesota, passed away peacefully in his sleep on March 1st, 2025 in Murfreesboro, TN. He was the youngest of nine children, born September 26th, 1963 to parents William and Jean Nichols.

Nic was baptized and attended St. Anastasia Catholic School and graduated from Hutchinson High School in 1982. He joined the Army National Guard between 11th and 12th grade with his high school buddies and after graduation they attended Willmar Community College for one year.

Nic met and married his ex-wife Kelly in Wisconsin and they later moved to Tennessee for work and had a beautiful daughter, Briley. Nic met Heidi and her daughters Stephanie and Julia in 2001.

Nic was a self-taught musician who played guitar, drums, bass, saxophone, piano — just about any instrument he could get his hands on. He was the lead singer in the band he and his buddies created. He was a gifted self-learner and a natural entrepreneur who loved a good challenge and any opportunity he could get to hone a new skill. He loved puzzles and working with his hands. Briley remembers all the time he spent in the garage — covered in sawdust, playing Snow Patrol or The Police, always building something or fixing something (he probably broke). He was a regular MacGyver, overflowing with imagination, ingenuity, and creative solutions to just about any problem (most included duct tape).

Anyone who knew him would tell you that his off the cuff sense of humor and witty remarks were second to none. You could always rely on Nic to bring levity and humor to the table.

His shenanigans began early in life. His sister, Shirley, recalls a time when he was about 7 or 8 in which he approached her and asked if she thought she was strong, to which she replied, “I think so. Why?” His response: “could you pull this dart out of my leg?”

In his teenage years, Nic and his friends dressed in fatigues and (complete with plastic AR-15s) stopped cars in town, telling the drivers that there was an escaped felon on the loose and that they needed to turn around and go another way. And most of them did!

Years later, when living with Heidi and the girls, he thought it would be a brilliant idea to rollerblade with their Goldendoodle, Reese, down the street. To this day, they swear Reese knew what he was doing when he jumped the curb and leaped out of the way of the tree Nic face-planted into.

Suffice it to say, he kept us on our toes. He was a great lover of comedy, and a prankster through and through. One of his favorite pastimes was entrapping telemarketers who called the house by devising outlandish scenarios in which he would voice multiple characters in the middle of ridiculous and elaborate situations, eventually scaring said telemarketers off the phone. His talent for improvisation was awe-inspiring, to say the least.

Nic had a gentle side and formed a special connection with animals of every shape and size. His compassion and care for all living creatures was evident in the way they instantly trusted and bonded with him. He would regularly catch and adopt stray cats (a talent which Briley inevitably picked up on as well). While he was fond of all animals, his connection with dogs was especially remarkable (as countless Camp Doodle families over the years would tell you).

Nic was a proud father and grandfather, a devoted partner, and a committed friend. He was a musician, a builder, an artist and a comedian. He was the kind of man who would go to any lengths to help someone in need. He had the enviable quality of true authenticity, and was always unapologetically himself. He brightened any room he walked into with his high energy and playful spirit.

Nic leaves behind his daughter Briley Nichols, grandson Holt Nichols, partner Heidi Arana and her daughters Stephanie and Julia, sisters Colleen, Katherine, Dawn, Shirley, Bonnie, and several nieces and nephews. He was preceded in death by his parents, brothers Dennis and Doug, and sister Jacqueline.

We are asking for donations at this time to help Briley and Heidi pay for cremation expenses, and will be directing any additional funds over to a trust fund for his five-year-old grandson, Holt Nichols.

Your kindness during this devastating period has truly meant the world to us. We are at a loss for words at the tremendous outpouring of love and support we have received from friends and family. We thank you all from the bottom of our hearts for all of the sympathies, condolences, meals, messages, calls, cards, visits, etc. that we have received. Nic’s heart would overflow to see the outpouring of love and generosity from the community that he loved and cared for so deeply.

In lieu of a memorial service, we will be hosting a celebration of life at our home in Murfreesboro. We invite all of our loved ones to join us in building a sensory garden at that time in Nic’s honor. This will be a space tailored to special needs dogs and rescues, a project which commemorates all of the time and energy and care that he devoted to the animals he loved so much. It will be a full day of celebrating his life with community, love, laughter, music and food.

Nic was a special soul, and he will be sorely missed. We are lucky enough to have countless hilarious and heart-warming moments with him to look back on. He gave so much to us over the years, and we are immeasurably grateful for all the time that we had with him.

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