Laura Nicholson

Laura passed peacefully on July 2nd, 2016. Preceded in death by her loving husband Robert E. “Nick” Nicholson and parents Willie and Debender Darden. Survived by daughter Vikki and grandsons Victor, Robert and Patrick; and many dear friends.

Laura was born and raised in Hattiesburg, Mississippi where she graduated at the age of 16 as the valedictorian of L.J. Rowan Jr. & Sr. High School and then attended Xavier University in New Orleans, Louisiana from 1960-1963. After marrying Nick in 1962, they moved around the world due to his military career living in Germany, Colorado and Texas. While in Colorado, she graduated with a Bachelor of Arts with Distinction, Sociology, and a Masters of Art, Sociology, from the University of Colorado at Colorado Springs. Laura became the first African-American Professor at the University of Colorado at Colorado Springs in the fall of 1973.

Laura was the type of person that you are lucky to meet once in a lifetime and especially blessed if a friendship developed. She was the life of the party and the fly in the ointment. Once you heard her laugh it could never be forgotten as her laughter was bright, infectious and unmistakable. Laura was extremely opinionated and firm when it came to her faith and those aspects of her life that she felt were most important. She cherished all those that she loved with this same firm tenacity and dared anyone to get in the way of that. Laura never met a stranger and welcomed all to join her in the warm glow of friendship and togetherness.

She relished in traveling on the ocean and was excited to share such an experience with as many of her friends as possible. Laura spent her career in the service of others thru various programs that taught and assisted people in becoming independent positive contributors to society with her greatest impact being at the Center for Health Care Services along with other co-workers who became lifelong friends.

A service will be held at St. John Neuman Catholic Church located at 6680 Crestway Rd., San Antonio, Texas 78239, on July 11th at 11:30 a.m. followed by internment at Holy Cross Cemetery located at 17501 Nacogdoches Rd., San Antonio, Texas 78266. The family wishes to ask that those attending please wear bright colors to celebrate Laura’s life as she would have liked. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to Estrella de Mar located 3857 E Southcross #165, San Antonio, TX 78222, or the charity of your choice.

She leaves us rich in memories.