Charles "Chuck" Nichols, age 89, passed away on February 14, 2023.
Chuck was born February 28, 1933 to Arthur and Mildred (Riddle) Nichols, living most of his life in Council Bluffs, Iowa. He was a veteran who served in the US Army during the Korean War. When he returned to civilian life, he married the love of his life, Opal Foote, on June 7, 1955. They were blessed with three children.
Chuck worked a wide range of jobs. He drove a semi-truck and managed boiler systems, and you could often find him under the hood of an automobile fixing something. His real passion was operating heavy equipment. The bigger the machine, the more excited he was about running it. With his construction skills, he could build just about anything including two of his own houses. He took great pride in building some of the parks around the Council Bluffs area.
Chuck endured some hardships in his life, but was resilient nonetheless. He and Opal lost their first-born baby just days after she was born, then years later lost both their son and granddaughter in a car accident. Chuck survived a grain elevator explosion, a quadruple heart bypass, and most recently, a leg amputation. Throughout his life, he was strong willed and never let any obstacle get in his way.
Chuck had a fierce desire to live free and independently and one of his favorite activities was traveling in his RV with the windows down. He loved being outside, and was very in tune with nature, feeling most at home near a body of water. Chuck enjoyed camping, fishing, listening to old-time county music, and a good cup of coffee (he would drink it all day if he could). He was an expert storyteller and loved sharing about his travels and adventures to whoever would listen. He was a loyal and protective dad and grandad and loved taking his grandkids on trips and giving them advice, whether they wanted it or not.
Chuck was preceded in death by his parents, Arthur and Mildred; brothers: Bernard, Kenneth, and Paul; sister, Patricia; half-brother, James; daughter, Kathlyn; son, Jeffery; granddaughter, Brandy.
He is survived by his wife, Opal, Missouri Valley, Iowa; daughter, Jenny (Mark) Reinig, Missouri Valley; grandchildren: Chuck, Allen, Linda, Valyn, and Logan; great-grandchildren: Jenna, Shelby, Ethan, Raine, Cash, and August; half-brother, John Nichols; half-sister, Bessie Mallory.
