Ted Nichols

Reginald James Nichols -- affectionately known to all as "Ted" - lit up the room with his boisterous laugh, wit and charm.
Growing up, Ted and his four brothers and parents Gwen and James were a tight-knit family, enjoying holidays at the ocean and mischievous times at home, and moving several times between South Africa and Canada.  Ted chronicled their adventures in a book this year, a testament to how meaningful those early years were to him. Ted and his brothers always kept that special bond, whether comparing their performance on the golf course, enjoying barbeques, fishing, or participating in the Nichols Olympics.  He loved to tease and compete with his brothers, but we all knew that underneath that teasing was a profound love and respect.
So many enjoyed Ted's friendship -- his positive attitude, sense of fun, and competitive spirit -- on the baseball field, the golf course, at the bridge table and on the volleyball court. But the game was always secondary to the buddies he was with and the enormous pleasure he took from being surrounded by their fun-loving, joking banter. His friends were a big part of his life, and he appreciated their companionship immensely, from his old friends from his university days, to those from his years in Mississauga, to those he met in Parksville after he retired.
Family was very important to Teddy. He was a loving, devoted husband and companion to Caroline for over 47 years, and a supportive, kind father to his children Megan, Pam and Jeff.  He transported his new bride across the ocean to cold Ontario in 1972, while expecting their first child, to start a new life.  He would greet Caroline after work every night without fail with a kiss, and "Hello my sweetie." We have all learned from his example of what it is to be a loyal life partner and provider and build a secure, happy family.
Ted encouraged his children to be their best, but he never judged or criticized.  He spent countless hours coaching their sports teams, watching their games and performances, quizzing them on their spelling and grammar. He shared his love of sport, the outdoors and leisure time with them, on camping trips, on the beach in Florida, fishing in Muskoka, at Blue Jay games, "bundu-bashing" at Bronte Park, playing catch, watching TV and old movies, lying in the sun on Saturday afternoons, and listening to "Lookin' Back" on Saturday night radio.
Teddy was a very special grandfather. His five grandchildren were a huge source of pride and delight for him. He was always interested in their accomplishments, and constantly challenged them to catch the ball, participate in his trivia games, and plank longer than he could. "Use your little pins!" was a common exclamation from him while he laughed and balanced the babies on his knees.
Along with Ted's good nature, sense of responsibility, and athleticism, he also showed real courage throughout his life.  In addition to moving to Ontario, and then to Vancouver Island in retirement, he left his stable job at BMO in Toronto to start his own consulting company in his mid-40s.  This was a real turning point in his career and he never looked back, achieving his goals and building a successful, prosperous business.
He also showed this courage over the last few years as he endured great pain and suffering with one major medical and health challenge defeated, only to be followed by another.  With Caroline's support, he faced each challenge with optimism, but also acceptance, grace and even humour (some of you will recall "The Prostate Song").
We are all fortunate to have been family, friends, sports buddies and colleagues of Ted's. He enriched our lives in countless ways. And all of us are likely to be a little bit more punctual as a result of our time with him!  We trust there is baseball in heaven, because a great player has just been called up.
A celebration of Ted's life will take place on Saturday, April 6th, 2019 at 1:30 pm at the Parksville Fellowship Baptist Chruch, 550 Pym Street.  Donations in lieu of flowers can be made to Doctors Without Borders.  Ted always felt so much better when he was in good hands, and he would appreciate others around the world receiving that same support on his behalf.
In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to Doctors Without Borders, by clicking on the left menu "donations".
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Celebration of Life

1:30 pm Saturday, April 6, 2019
Parksville Fellowship Baptist Church 550 Pym St. Parksville, British Columbia, Canada V9P 1B6