Mathew Leonard Nickels, MD

December 27, 2018.

He is survived by his wife of 57 years, Kathleen (Kelly), brother Dennis (Sharon) of Sugar

Grove, IL, sisters Kathy Lubinski (Frank) of Milwaukee, WI, Patricia (Mauk) of Scottsdale, AZ,

and Mary (Terry) Hoffman of Sugar Grove, IL. He was preceded in death by his parents

Leonard and Madeline of Aurora, IL, brothers Leroy and George and son-in-law Rob O’Rourke.

He and Kathy raised eight children: Mary Palacios (Joe and children John, Rebecca, Sarah,

Michael, Mathew and Rachel) of Houston, TX, Jeanne Galvan (Michael Edward) of Clovis, CA,

Monica O’Rourke (children Katie, Megan, Ryan and Kevin) of Fresno, CA, David (Athena and

children Lauren Austin, Mariah Turner, Edwin Austin and Makayla Ulery) of Lemoore, CA,

Patricia Murrin (Ron and daughter Claire) of Clovis, CA, Joseph (Janet and children Natalie and

Evan) of Sammamish, WA, Laura White (Carlton and sons Ian and Collin) of Lafayette, CA, and

Mathew (Emily and daughters Abigale and Madeline) of Fresno, CA. He is also survived by six

great grandchildren, and a loving extended family of nieces and nephews.

Mat was a graduate of Marmion Military Academy in Aurora, Illinois and Regis University of

Denver, Colorado where he earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Biology. He went on to

Saint Louis University Medical School in St. Louis, Missouri and graduated with a medical

degree in 1963. While in college, he met Kathleen Kelly on a blind date March 14th, 1959. After

a two-year courtship, they married in Chicago Illinois in 1961.

His first years as a Radiologist were spent in St. Louis, Missouri, where he and Kathy welcomed

their first six children. This was followed by a move to Louisiana, Missouri where they spent the

next nine years and welcomed two more children to the family. While in Missouri he earned a

private pilot’s license and enjoyed flying despite physical limitations due to polio as a teenager.

The family moved to Fresno, CA in 1979. There he continued his private practice in addition to

serving as Chief of Staff at Clovis Community and Sierra Kings Hospitals.

Mat came from a farming family and in addition to his career as a physician, farming was never

far from his heart and his mind. He owned a series of farms in Missouri where he grew hay for

his cattle and horses.

Mat was a 40-year member of Rotary International, where he served as club president and

volunteered on various projects, including, bringing awareness to the global campaign to

eradicate polio and bringing wheelchair accessibility to those in need. He supported many

charities and community organizations including the American Cancer Society, Knights of

Columbus, Our Lady of Perpetual Help Catholic Church, and St. Labre Indian School.

The Nickels family would like to thank the wonderful caregivers who worked with our father in

his later years, particularly Ernesto Moreno and the staff at Sunrise Senior Living in Fresno.

Recitation of the Holy Rosary will be Friday, January 4, 2019 at 10:00 in the morning at Our

Lady of Perpetual Help Catholic Church in Clovis. Funeral Mass will follow the rosary.

In lieu of flowers, donations can made to: Catholic Charities of Fresno http://www.ccdof.org

Right to Life of Central California: http://righttolifeca.org