Richard A. Nicholas

NAME:  Richard Alvin Nicholas AGE: 83Richard Alvin Nicholas died Tuesday, December 28, 2010, in Amarillo, Texas.  No services are scheduled at this time.  Arrangements are by Schooler Funeral Home, 4100 South Georgia.Richard was born October 17, 1927 in Chicago, Illinois to Alvin and Viola Nicholas.  Richard proudly served in the United States Army Air Corp.  During his service he worked in the mechanic department on prop and jet engines. He married Georgia Fay Hendrix Garrett in January of 1975.Richard worked for Howard Hughes Tools in Tuscan, and Sandia Laboratories working in the field on atomic energy.  He was a member of the Pipefitter Union and worked in numerous nuclear power plants throughout the country, he spent a great deal of time traveling to Amarillo to trouble shoot nuclear warhead issues; thus eventually moving here from Coeur d’Alene, Idaho .In 1996 he Richard retired from High Plains Baptist Hospital where he worked as mechanical engineer.  He was also a long time Amsoil Dealer.His hobbies included baseball, sailing, particular sailboat racing in the San Francisco Bay,   scuba diving, sitting in the hot tub and was known to cuss at the so and so’s on CNN.  He had what was described as “tinkeritus” and could always be found in his shop that was full of his better and faster ideas.Richard’s family was of upmost important to him, but he was particularly partial to his grandchildren and great-grandchildren. He is preceded in death by his parents.Survivors include his wife; sons, Steve Nicholas and Paul Nicholas; both of Glendale, AZ and Troy Garrett Jr. of Arlington, Oregon; daughter, Patt Garrett of McCarthy, Alaska; brother, Harley Nicholas of Rockwall, Texas, and his many precious grandchildren and great grandchildren, Tony Nicholas, Andrew Nicholas and Chad Sugden  and Daniel Brower all of Glendale, AZ, Lisa Garrett of Portland, OR, Josh and Sarah Garrett of University Place, Washington, Walt Swafford of Bend, Oregon, Bettsie Wild of Chugiak, Alaska and Jennifer Van Sandt of Anchorage, Alaska; his great grandchildren, Bryan Gene, Miranda,  Lena and Talon Wild all of Chugiak, Alaska, Chelsea Swafford of Bend, Oregon, Andria Adoor and Jessica Clark both of Anchorage, Alaska; his great-great grandchildren Hailey and Kayden Van Sandt of Homer, Alaska.

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