Mr. Billy Ray Nichols

Mr. Nichols was born in Blackburn Oklahoma to Mr. Clarence Nichols and Mrs. Della Brown Nichols on June 27, 1938. The family moved to Oklahoma City where Bill attended high school. It was a rival high school to the one his future loving wife of 58 years, Sandra Rae Brumfield, attended. She was only 16 when Bill, 19, met her in a local Oklahoma City movie theater. They never separated again! They dated from that point forward and married two years later. By 1965 they had moved to Dallas when their first son, Stephen Ray was born November 2, 1965. Their second son, Kevin Barnett, was born September 17, 1968.

Bill, Sandy, and the boys are long time members of Oak Cliff Christian Church, 660 S. Zang, where he will be remembered in this Sunday’s 11:00 AM service, 11/13/22.

Tragically Kevin developed brain cancer while attending Atwell Middle School and died April 6, 1985. The Atwell Central Courtyard was dedicated to Kevin with trees donated in his memory that are now very large. His photo and the dedication have hung on the wall next to the entry to the courtyard ever since.

In Dallas Bill worked on Mac Trucks. They moved to Oak Cliff where he became a distributor for Nabisco. Then he worked over 20 years for Pronto Delivery from where he retired.

In the neighborhood Bill was popular for the wonderful backyard pool he, Sandy, and the boys enjoyed for decades. The pool was enjoyed with church, neighborhood, friends, and extended family. Along the way we celebrated Bill’s 50th Birthday around the pool with a wheelchair and black balloons for Bill to be sobered up to face old age, someday! And do not forget Mr. Green, the parrot Stephen gave his dad on his 50th!

Bill could never spend too much time with Sandy and the boys on camping trips, Ranger, Maverick, & Cowboy games, as well as the Cowboy Soccer Club, and lots of bowling, very often with neighbors, church, friends, and extended family involved in all these activities.

Bill was preceded in death by his parents, his wife of 58 years, Sandy Rae, his son Kevin, and a brother-in-law Stephen Brumfield. Bill is survived by his son Stephen Ray, of Dallas, Bill’s sister, Esther Nichols Tesch, and a grandniece Jennifer Tesch-Singh, both of Pittsburg, California, and nephew, Doug Tesch, of Tecumseh, Oklahoma and two great nieces, Jessica Tesch of Concord, California, and Kandice Tesch, of Spokane, Washington. Bill is also survived by one niece, Nicole Brumfield Gifford of Oklahoma, the daughter of Stephen Brumfield.

A graveside service for Bill will be held Tuesday, November 15, 2022, from 11:00 AM to 11:30 AM at Laurel Land Funeral Home, 6300 South R.L., Thornton Freeway, Dallas, TX 75232.

Fond memories and expressions of sympathy may be shared at www.laurellanddallas.com for the Nichols family.