William D. Nichols

William (Bill) D. Nichols, 97 of Monticello, Illinois, passed away peacefully at Kirby Medical Center on Saturday March 25, 2023. Bill was born on December 21, 1925, in Pontiac, Michigan, the son of Frederick and Amelia (Strong) Nichols. He married Eva Mae Walden on May 12, 1946, and enjoyed over 76 years together and preceded him in death.

Bill is survived by his son Robert Nichols (Donna) of Springfield; granddaughter Kris (Ken) Blazek of Mansfield; granddaughter Kendra (Rodger) Watts of Athens; four great-grandchildren: Joshua Blazek, Amber Blazek, Savannah Watts and Mitchell Watts and two great-great-grandchildren: Aubrie and Matthew Blazek.

Bill was preceded in death by his parents, his brother Glenn Nichols, sister Mildred (Harley) Feole and sister Alma (Cecil) Turner.

In 1943, at the age of seventeen, Bill enlisted in the Army Air Corps and served as a B-24 and B-29 mechanic for the remainder of World War II. He was extremely proud of his service and in his later years he could always be seen wearing a baseball cap embroidered with "WWII Veteran" on it. He was a Life-Time member of the American Legion of 65 consecutive years! Two days after being discharged, he and Eva were married and settled in Urbana where he eventually became a partner in the automotive business.

One of his greatest joys was fishing! He and Eva lived in a house on Spring Lake, just outside of Mahomet, and would fish for crappie any chance they got and would travel to Minnesota, Tennessee and Florida to fish and vacation. Together they traveled to France, Spain, Italy, England, the Caribbean, Mexico and Hawaii and would always return with fantastic stories.

Bill was a quiet man, and no one could be more kind. He loved Eva and to the very end their desire was to always be together. He loved his family and enjoyed being with them on special days like Christmas, Thanksgiving and birthdays.

While his name was William or Bill, folks more than likely called him "Nick"!

A private memorial will be held at 4pm on Friday, May 12, 2023 at Sunsets Mahomet Chapel 1102 Churchill Rd, Mahomet, IL 61853.

Cremation will be provided by Sunset Funeral Home and be interred at Mt. Hope Cemetery in Sidney, Illinois

No graveside services are planned.

In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made in Bills honor to:

Maple Point /Piatt County Nursing Home Foundation

P.O. Box 410

Monticello, Il. 61856.