Laurie Nichol

Laurie Nichol’s legacy is one of looking upward and outward. Her last Facebook post was on Easter, expressing her hope in Jesus. Her love of people was lifelong and her ability to connect with others a true gift. Even as she was facing cancer treatments, before leaving a hospital bed, she would pray for the per-son who would occupy that space next.

Laurie Ann (Lyons) Nichol was born on Oct. 2, 1961, in Flint, Mich., and died on June 19, 2023, in The Dalles, Ore. She was the second of three daughters born to John (Jack) Patrick and Jean Therese Lyons. Her older sister Jeanne Marie was 2 at the time, and little sister Mary Therese came along two and a half years later.

The family moved to Bethel Park, Penn., in 1967 when Jack got a promotion with General Motors. Bethel Park was a wonderful place to grow up. Jack would randomly take the family on a “mystery trip” vacation, and they were always special to Laurie and her sisters.

Laurie loved the social side of school. She met her lifelong friends in eighth grade cheerleading. In high school, she was involved in all kinds of clubs, but she was most proud of being in the Bethel Park Bethettes — a part of the marching band. She raised her pom poms high at every football game, parade and marching competition.

The family moved to Boulder, Colo., in 1978 after another job promotion for Jack. Laurie stayed behind as a part of the Kern family to finish her senior year of high school before heading west. Although she missed her family, that year was full of fond memories and a special sisterhood bond with her best friend, Traci. Laurie continued to stay close to her high school friends over the years, including traveling together, fur-ther strengthening their friendship.

Once in Colorado, Laurie got a job at StorageTek in Louisville. She and Mary loved doing aerobics together at Flatiron Athletic Club in Boulder. In January of 1986, Jeanne gave Laurie’s phone number to a medical student named Tom in the dental office where she worked, and Laurie and Tom were married on June 14 of that year. Together with the man she later referred to as her “True North,” she and Tom started the first of their 37 years as a team. They moved to Phoenix, Ariz., shortly after for his medical residency. In December of 1988, Christina “Tina” Marie was born.

After looking for a community for Tom to begin practicing medicine in 1989, Laurie and Tom settled on The Dalles. Little Tina kept Laurie busy, but Laurie volunteered at the children’s museum nevertheless. Tina became a 4-year-old big sister when Devin Lyons was born in 1993. Laurie always had her hand in their activities, whether it was Tina’s dance recitals and soccer games, or Devin’s tennis matches and musical pursuits. She even stepped waaay out of her comfort zone to coach Devin’s peewee soccer team when no one else could. Laurie loved being a mother.

Laurie’s years in The Dalles were marked by generosity, encouragement, and service to others. There was a stint where she was a “Cookie Lady,” one of several group members who would take dozens of cookies to the high school at lunchtime as a way to connect and minister. One time, Laurie was heartbroken to see a pregnant girl sitting all by herself. To her, a student like that was the reason for the ministry. Laurie continued to have a heart for the adolescent age group. Many young people considered Laurie to be a mother figure and she loved them all dearly. However, Laurie had a special place in her heart for Tina’s college roommate, Sadie, and later for the family’s Belgian exchange student, Tim. The connections she formed as the teaching director for Teen Community Bible Study (CBS) were also strong. She was even asked to officiate a wedding! Laurie was also active in CBS as the area director and enjoyed attending all types of community events.

Naturally, Laurie’s love of people extended to hospitality. Perhaps due to her Italian heritage, she opened their home to countless people of all ages and served delicious meals, no matter the size of the crowd. She loved feeding people. Bringing together the Nichol side of the family from five different states for every-other-year Thanksgiving gatherings was Laurie’s terrific idea. For years, she hosted a Fourth of July celebration for family friends in the community that even included a kids’ mini parade with decorated bikes and wagons. Each year, a king and a queen were crowned and Laurie played the Star Spangled Banner while they completed a victory lap.

Laurie loved to cook, host, entertain, dance, and have fun with family and friends. She was delighted on the occasions when she met famous people when traveling, including Carol Burnett and Cameron Diaz, and never shied away from talking to them. She loved flowers, good food (especially “snackies” made by her brother-in-law Ronnie) and her Yorkies. She was always able to portray elegance; she had a good eye for creating a beautiful yard, home, and event. For special occasions, she was always polished and stylish. She had a close bond with her sisters and mother and would visit as often as she could. She had a great sense of humor and loved laughing, especially at Tom’s antics.

She and Tom enjoyed traveling, sometimes just the two of them, sometimes with family and friends. She was thrilled when Jeanne and her husband Greg could join them in Turks and Caicos. Her favorite place on Earth was Cannon Beach. The family took a special trip after Tina’s high school graduation which included visiting Lucca, Italy, where her maternal grandfather Arthur Consani was born. That meant a lot to Laurie. Another highlight was visiting with Tim and his family in Belgium a few years later.

Laurie joined cheerleading in eighth grade, but essentially never stopped cheering for others her whole life. She was a nurturer, encourager, life coach, mother figure and friend. One of her favorite roles, though, was becoming “Nona” to her granddaughter Lucy Sofia Perez in July of 2021.

Laurie loved all the people in her life and embodied this message that she shared in the wedding service she performed: “Love is fundamentally action … and when the Bible speaks of love, it measures it primarily not on how much you want to receive, but by how much you are willing to give of yourself.”

Laurie is survived by her children, Tina Perez and Devin Nichol; son-in-law Luis Perez; granddaughter Lucy Perez; mother Jean Lyons; sisters Jeanne Myers and Mary Gillam; and numerous extended family members and countless friends.

Memorial donations can be made to the Laurie and Tom Nichol Memorial Fund through The Gorge Community Foundation.

A memorial will be held in honor of Laurie and Tom Nichol at the Columbia Gorge Community College Amphitheater on Aug. 25 at 7:30 p.m. All are welcome.