Daniel W. Nicholson

Alzheimer’s disease.

Born in Baldwinville, Massachusetts on October, 12, 1937, he was the son of the late Daniel and

Anne (McNeil) Nicholson. He was also predeceased by three brothers, John J., Martin J., Michael

W. and his sister, Margaret “Peggy” Nicholson.

After graduating from Gardner High School, Massachusetts, Dan continued his studies at Saint

Francis Xavier University in Antigonish, Nova Scotia. He received a Bachelor of Science Degree,

graduating Magna Cum Laude, with a major in Mathematics. He furthered his education at the

University of Massachusetts and received a Master of Science Degree with a major in Education

Administration. He also completed Graduate study at Boston and Louisiana Universities. Dan

received numerous awards and honors for academic and athletic achievement throughout his

educational preparation. He was always proud to say that all of his entire period of study---

graduate and undergraduate---- was financed through full academic fellowships. Upon

completion of his undergraduate study, he taught mathematics at St. Francis Xavier University in

Canada for two years. At 21, he was the youngest member of the university faculty serving 3,000

students. Returning to the United States, in 1961, Dan assumed the position of Mathematics

Department Chair in a private prep school in Maine---Coburn Classical Institute. In the summer

of 1965, he went to Salem High School in southern New Hampshire as assistant principal. One

year later, at the age of 27, he was promoted to the principalship of the school of 1,500 students

making him the youngest High School Principal in the state. However, the allure of beaches and

warm weather appealed to Dan and he later moved to Florida and assumed the role of Assistant

Superintendent for Curriculum and Instruction for Collier County. In addition to his academic

brilliance, Dan always brought a very practical administrative philosophy to public education. He

always made specific demands of both students and staff. It was in Collier County that he

assumed the monumental task of integration and devised a plan to integrate the school district in

only two months due to legal time constraints.

After he moved back to Massachusetts, Dan was Regional Supervisor for Mathematics in the Dennis-Yarmouth Regional School District. After three years, he became Principal of Dennis-Yarmouth's 1,500 pupil Regional High School. He initiated a thorough evaluation procedure of all staff, directed several curriculum changes in the areas of English, Mathematics, and Social Studies, and brought a renewed and positive attitude to the school as a whole. His years at Dennis-Yarmouth were challenging, exciting and enjoyable. But, in the summer of 1984, he was recruited by the Clarkstown Central School District and assumed the position of Principal of Clarkstown High School North. During his 21 years at North High School, he guided the school through two $9,000,000 renovations, a total review and rewriting of the curriculum, a more accountable approach to teacher evaluation, and encouragement and promotion of student academic and athletic competition. Since student athletes were recognized in a myriad of ways for their athletic achievements, Dan felt that students who excelled academically should also have received equal recognition and accolades. To fill this need, in 1990, he pioneered the student Academic

Banquet. It recognized and lauded those students ranking in the top ten percent of each of the four

classes. This event still continues today.

After retiring from Clarkstown, Dan was once again recruited, this time from the Nyack School

District, and assumed the principalship of Nyack High School for the next 2 years.

Throughout his career, he received and was honored with numerous awards and accolades for his

contribution to education. Dan’s 50 plus years as an educator and administrator made a lasting

impression on the lives of innumerable students, parents and teachers alike, who benefited

tremendously from his vision and dedication to quality education and administration. He was an

individual who entered the field of education as a dream, liked it as a love, and devoted heart and

soul to it on a daily basis.

In his free time, Dan was an avid fisherman and a handicapper of thoroughbred race horses. He

studied horses’ pedigrees extensively, owned, bred and raced a multitude of thoroughbreds. While

none of his horses ever made it to the Kentucky Derby, quite a few of them did make it to the

Winner’s Circle at Pimlico, Belmont and Saratoga racetracks.

Dan is survived by the love of his life, best friend and wife, Maria Schembari-Nicholson. Together

they shared immeasurable happiness and lived life to the fullest. They enjoyed traveling, spending

time with family and friends and, just simply, being together. Besides visiting many other

destinations, they spent beautiful summers traveling throughout Italy where Dan could be caught

sampling two or three “gelati” each day. He was known to have a sweet tooth and, those who got

to know him well, knew that, instead of office supplies, his desk drawers were often filled with

Twinkies, Yodels, Oreos and Mallomars.

Dan is also survived by three children, Wanda Nicholson-Deyo (Dave); Kristina Bachman (

Mark); Charles Nicholson; one grandchild, Gage Daniel Bachman and an extended loving and

supportive family too numerous to list. He will be forever loved and missed.

Visitation hours will be Wednesday, August 21, 4:00-8:00 pm, at Higgins Funeral Home in New

City. A Funeral Service will take place on Thursday, August 22, at 10:00 am, at Higgins Funeral

Home. Burial will be in Sleepy Hollow Cemetery, Sleepy Hollow, NY.

In lieu of flowers, please consider making a donation to the Maria Fareri Children’s Hospital,

Valhalla, NY or to St. Jude’s Children’s Hospital.