As a young child, Marion’s family moved to White Salmon where he was raised. He graduated from White Salmon High School in 1941. Marion worked as a tugboat captain for a few years then entered the Coast Guard during WWII. Following his military service, he went back to work as a tugboat captain, working on the Columbia, Willamette and Snake rivers.
Marion enjoyed all kinds of machinery, cars, airplanes and especially work boats. He ran tugboats for 72 years and enjoyed every minute. He often said he never had one day be work! He was always ready to go for a tugboat ride. He once spent a week riding on a tug on the Mississippi River while on vacation. While visiting his daughter and son-in-law in Germany, his family didn't see him for about 4 days, as he had talked his way onto a boat and worked with the guys for those days. He didn’t even speak German! He also did that in Holland and Switzerland. Wherever he went he would say to his wife, Ruby, " don't worry if you don't see me for a few days because I am on a boat”.
Marion loved people and never met a stranger. He would bring people he had just met home for dinner, so Ruby knew to always make extra. He was well known as a joker and had a story to tell about almost everyone he ever met.
Marion is survived by his children, Dennis (Sandra) Nichols, Kerry (David) Vick; grandchildren, Travis (Kim) Vick, Olivia Nichols, Nathan (Teresa) Vick, Cody (Amy) Vick and Desiree (Scott) Urban; great grandchildren, Tony, Ethan, Evan, Lily, Ruby, Lucy, Cohen, Liam, Madison and Drew; and brother, Dean Nichols. He is preceded in death by his loving wife, Ruby; parents, Luke and Inez; and siblings, Darrell Nichols, Lillian Bell and Louise Frederick-Cook.
A memorial service for Marion will be held 11:00 AM, Saturday, August 2, 2014 at New Heights Church, 7813 NE 58th St., Vancouver, WA . Private inurnment will take place at Willamette National Cemetery, where he will be reunited with his beloved Ruby.
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