Mr. Mark "Nick" Nichols' Obituary
Nichols, Mark L. “Nick”, avid hunter and fisherman, devoted husband, storyteller, and friend to all, reunited with many friends and family in his eternal resting place on Saturday, November 28, 2015. Mark was born in Bloomington, IL on August 29th, 1961. He married the love of his life and best friend, Melinda Rosales on October 24th, 1992 in a one-of-a-kind Texas style wedding! They built a life in Houston and lived it to its fullest.
Mark is survived by his wife Melinda, Houston; parents; Dean and Sara Nichols, LeRoy, IL; sister Karen Bruning, Bloomington, IL; brother; Mike Nichols, LeRoy, IL; 5 nephews - Brett Bruning, Tyler Bruning, Ethan Bruning, Shane Bruning and Albert Rosales III., and one niece who was his queen, Erica Rosales. Mark also leaves behind Melinda’s family; parents Javier and Rita Torres, brother Albert Rosales and wife Loida.
Mark took Texas by storm with his best friend Derek Miller right after graduating from LeRoy High School, LeRoy Illinois, in 1980. They spent their days riding motorcycles, playing hard, working hard and representing true bachelor life. Derek lost his life in a tragic bike accident on April 21, 1981. Mark spent the next few years traveling and working in and out of Texas.
After settling back in Texas, Mark and Melinda met one another through work, fell in love, married and made their only house a home. They loved to entertain, travel and spend their spare time with family and friends or just being together. Mark’s love of hunting and fishing took him to a ranch in West Texas as often as possible. He has a collection of his prize catches. Mark also belonged to the South Houston Smokers team in which they competed in many cook-offs in the Houston area. Mark loved relaxing, grilling, enjoying a cold beer and storytelling. He always made everyone feel at ease and was a huge southern gentleman. That doesn’t mean he was always politically correct, however. He was a very hard worker, all of his life. He was a heavy machinery mover/rigger for over 30 years.
As an adopted child, Mark united with his biological family later in life; Pete and Marcia Todd, Amy and J.R. Alexander, Jamie and Rich Zeller, Jim and Nancy Todd and their children.
Mark leaves behind many lessons in life and had a lot of advice. Those lessons will live on as will his exaggerated stories that he shared with friends and strangers alike. You can be sure 50% of every story was true. You just never knew which 50%. We will all remember his smile, his warmth, his energy, and his love for life. “It’s not the years in his life, but the life in his years.”
Friends (and strangers he would love to have met) can visit at the South Park Funeral Home located at 1310 N. Main Street, Pearland Texas, on Wednesday, December 2nd from 3 p.m. to 5 p.m. with a celebration of life at 5 p.m. Melinda’s cousin Victor Rosales will be officiating the service. Inurnment will be at a later date. Mark, although he couldn’t walk in them, asks that people wear flip flops, and dress comfortably for his celebration. Knowing what it’s like to be a kid, Mark asks that memorials be made to the Shriners Hospitals and St. Jude’s.
What’s your fondest memory of Mark?
What’s a lesson you learned from Mark?
Share a story where Mark's kindness touched your heart.
Describe a day with Mark you’ll never forget.
How did Mark make you smile?