Paul was born on August 11, 1933 in Norwich, England. He attended De La Salle Brothers Catholic School in his early years where he survived a strafing from a WWII German Dornier returning from a London bombing run.
He was awarded the Oxford School Certificate in July 1949 and pursued a career in civil engineering.
He claimed his hereditary title “Freeman of Norwich” in October 1955.
Paul married Patricia Newby in 1958 and strove to enrich their lives with exotic cultures. He had his first son in Australia and his second on the Island Republic of Nauru.
His work ranged from the construction of sea walls in England, phosphate loading docks in Nauru, to the design of drainage systems and foundations of city blocks in Kuwait and Baghdad.
In order to flee socialism, he secured a position with Gannett Fleming and moved to the USA in June 1968, where he continued his career in Central Pennsylvania and surrounding counties. In 1979, he purchased and reorganized Heritage Metal Finishing Corporation in Elizabethtown and ran it until his retirement on January 1, of 2000.
A determined, kind, and joyous man, Paul tried to model his life to the standard of John Hall's "At Day's End" and his career by Rudyard Kipling's "If." In his free time Paul had many pursuits, his first was to gain a private pilot's license and he did so after only 39 hours instruction. Another was to become an actor in "His Masters Players" the church group traveled around the local area in chancel plays, including Washington, D.C.
In 1966, he fostered a son Philip while in Hong Kong and in 1975 he sponsored four Vietnamese refugees, who remain a large part of the Nickalls' family. Now Facebook keeps us updated. He assisted refugee families from Afghanistan, Honduras, Uganda, Poland and Romania. He served as Secretary at St. Stephen's Episcopal Cathedral vestry for 21 years. He also organized and taught for the Junior Achievement Program in local schools to encourage and inspire children.
Both in life and in death, Paul gave himself to causes he cared about. He donated blood monthly, giving a total of 31.5 gallons throughout his lifetime. He also donated his body to science to benefit the research of students in the medical field.
Paul succumbed to Lewy Body Dementia, included Parkinson's symptoms.
He was a determined man, he fought against windmills, like Don Quixote, but there is no answer, no cure.
As the cruel disease progresses, destroying the brain, causing memory lapses, incompetency, constant falling, hallucinations, and a frustrated, arrogant and argumentative personality. On average it takes eight years for the disease to run its terminal course. Each year adding subtle symptoms making a clearer picture until the final diagnose of Dementia with Lewy bodies is presumed.
Our family are thankful to the Compassionate Care Hospice for helping him peacefully transition to the after life.
Paul is survived by his sister, Paula Redslob; his sons, Mark and Christopher Nickalls; his wife, Patricia Nickalls; his daughter-in-law, Shari Nickalls; and his grandchildren, Samantha and Jacob Nickalls.
Paul requested that no memorial service be preformed on his behalf.
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