Donald Orrin Nicol

Don Nicol passed away peacefully on November 8, following a long struggle with dementia, surrounded by the family he so dearly loved. He was preceded in death by his father, Donald C. Nicol, his mother, Patricia Z. Nicol McCarthy, his sister, Lucinda Peterson; and nephew Greg Peterson.

Don is survived by his wife of 60 years, Susan, and his children, Jenny (Tony) Costantino of Atlanta, GA; Don (Debbie) Nicol of Jacksonville Beach, FL; and Doug (Heidi) Nicol, of Casper, WY. He is also survived by eight grandchildren who were nuts about their Poppy: Sam and Grace Costantino (GA), Henry and Lucy Nicol (FL), and Maddox, Hudson, Walker and McCarthy (WY); and his three Peterson nieces, Patty (Gene Picone), Susan and Sharon.

Don was born in Chicago, IL, but his family moved to Chatham, New Jersey, when he was 12, and he always called Chatham home. He was, not surprisingly, a competitive athlete all through high school and college, lettering in soccer, basketball and baseball.

After graduating from Muhlenberg College in Allentown, PA, he went to work with Pittsburgh Plate Glass Co. One day, Sue, a stewardess from Sacramento, CA, based in NYC, walked into a hardware store in Queens, NY, where Don, the salesman, had called on the owner. By the end of the interaction, he had her phone number and, having taken a great leap of faith, they married only one year later.

Over the years, they moved to Detroit, then to Cincinnati, while he was with Cannon Mills. His lifelong love of golf soon became his career, when Don moved his family to Chattanooga in 1970, having joined First Flight Golf Co. Later on, he became VP Sales at ProGroup Golf Company and, after many years, left to become Partner at WEN Marketing, where he finished out his career. Over those years, with his wife by his side, he raised two sons who love golf and a daughter who followed in his footsteps in sales and marketing.

He was also an avid duck hunter who looked forward to each season with great relish. Voted the Biggest Flirt and Best Dancer in his senior year at Chatham HS, he was likely the best dancer in any room, but he was always, hands down, the wittiest!

The Nicol Family is so grateful to the fine staff at The Lantern at Morning Pointe who became family; and to Kerry Brown from Hearth Hospice, who gave us Ashley Rotman, who stayed with us to the very end.

In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation to the Alzheimer’s Association, Ducks Unlimited, or Susan G Komen Chattanooga.

A Funeral Mass will be held Tuesday, November 28, at St Jude Catholic Church, with visitation at 11:00 AM, followed by the Funeral Mass at 1:00 pm. Please wear light, happy apparel!

Arrangements are by the North Chapel of Chattanooga Funeral Home, Crematory, and Florist, 5401 Highway 153, Hixson, TN 37343.

Please share your thoughts and memories at www.chattanooganorthchapel.com