Leo Daniel ""Dan"" Nichols

Leo Daniel ""Dan"" Nichols Dan Nichols passed away on July 12, 2017, in Englewood, CO due to complications from diabetes. Dan was born on February 6, 1958, to Leo and Joan Nichols (both deceased) in Denver, CO. From a very early age, Dan enjoyed studying history, especially presidential history. He could name all the presidents and the years of their term(s). He was proud to share a birthday with former President Ronald Reagan. Dan had a photographic memory and was able to recall facts, figures, dates and sports trivia without pause. He was raised in Lakewood and attended St. Anthony of Padua Catholic School, Patterson Elementary, Carmody and O'Connell Junior High schools and graduated from Alameda High in 1976. He played on the Alameda Little League Football teams and was on the track team at O'Connell Jr High. His family belonged to Notre Dame Catholic Church and he made his First Communion in 1966. He belonged to the Colorado Teenage Republicans. The Nichols home was always the gathering place for family dinners, bbq's and parties. Like most natives, Dan learned to ski at a young age and most Saturdays were spent skiing. Winter Sundays his family would spend the day ice skating at Evergreen Lake, most often joined by the Nichols aunts, uncles and cousins. Summers were spent with his mom's side of the family in her hometown of Ponca, Nebraska on the banks of the Missouri River. Lifelong friendships were made in his early childhood, junior high and senior high school years; a rarity in today's transient society He loved cherry pie and had a dry sense of humor. Evidence of his humor surfaced during his last days when it was revealed that 40 years ago he convinced a group of friends he was adopted. That story later morphed into his sister also being adopted. And people believed him for 40 years. Most often you would hear Dan described as ""kind"", ""humble"" and ""intelligent"". When Dan was 12 months old, his sister Lynne was born and they developed a very close and lasting bond that sustained them throughout their lives. Dan graduated from Regis University with a degree in Business, and earned a Masters in Organizational Management. He graduated with Honors and Distinction in both his Undergraduate and Graduate programs. Dan began working at King Soopers at age 15 and worked there for a total of 27 years, most often in management positions. He also worked for SuperValu in Minneapolis, MN; HC Properties, and owned Jordan Wine and Spirits in Parker, CO. He was a Parker Rotarian. He married Diane Claassen in June 1992, and they recently celebrated 25 years of marriage. Their marriage was blessed with two daughters, Caroline born in 1995, and Danielle born in 1998. In 2003, Dan was diagnosed with Hairy Cell Leukemia and achieved remission on three separate occasions. He participated in a 13 year clinical trial through the National Institutes of Health. He traveled to Bethesda, MD at least once a year for ongoing treatments and check ups, sometimes staying as long as 6 weeks. Dan's daughters were the lights of his life. In June of 2016, Danielle graduated from Colorado Academy and began attending Knox College in Galesburg, Illinois in September 2016. In May of this year, he, along with 5 other family members, traveled to Caroline's college graduation from Colgate University in New York. Dan is survived by his wife Diane, daughters Caroline (age 21), Danielle (age 19), and sister Lynne Kinney (Don) all of Lakewood. In addition, he is survived by his extended family including numerous cousins, one remaining aunt and uncle, and his in-laws. Please consider donations to: Colorado Academy Financial Aid in Memory of Dan Nichols 3800 S. Pierce Street Denver, CO 80235