- Born on: March 18, 1940
- Departed on: August 8, 2019
- Resided in: Des Moines, IA
Ronald Nichols
He was raised on a dairy farm, attended Hanover’s one room schoolhouse and transferred to Valley High, graduating in 1958. Ron served in the army for three years, stationed in Chitose, Japan. Even in his final days, he spoke with such passion and emotion about the Vietnam War, his “brothers” whose lives were lost and the love of his country.
Ron married Willa Beth Mills in 1965. To that union two children were born, Laura (Mindi) of Waukesha, WI and son Kent of Des Moines, IA. He is also survived by one grandson Connor along with many loving relatives and friends. Ron worked at John Deere for 30 years, retiring in 1998. He volunteered at Hoover High School, inspired by his children’s involvement in sports. He was a proud fan, coach and booster club leader. Hoover honored those years of dedication by naming the football concession stand after him in 2006.
The northern woods of Outing, Minnesota have been a second home for many decades. The small, cozy cabin was a favorite spot for friends, family and fishing. He also took that rod & reel to Canada for an annual adventure, daughter Laura “joining the boys” the last two years. Another passion was football. Few knew Ron was a “walk-on” for the Hawkeyes in 1959. An injury shortened his playing on the field, but he was an avid fan and season ticket holder for many years. Ron put true meaning to “You can take the boy off the farm, but you can’t take the farm out of the boy”. This was reflected in his 4 a.m. wake up hour, strong work ethic and his love of the outdoors.
Ron is preceded in death by his loving parents, Russell and Marjorie and sister Shirley Weatherby. He will be dearly missed by all who knew him.
Relatives & friends are kindly invited to a visitation at Immanuel United Methodist Church, 2900 49th St. Des Moines, IA on Friday, August 16 from 5 to 7 p.m. A celebration of life will be at Immanuel United Methodist Church Saturday, August 17 at 10 a.m. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to The Wounded Warrior Fund and to Immanuel United Methodist Church.
