Robert James “Bob” Nicholas, 84, of Sparta, passed away Feb.12, 2024, at Saint Thomas Rutherford Hospital, in Murfreesboro.
Bob was born Oct. 25, 1939, in Warwick, New York, to Mark and Helen Elizabeth Simmons Nicholas.
He served in the U.S. Navy where he gained construction experience as a member of the United States Naval Construction Battalion (known as the Seabees) that would benefit him for life. Bob retired from construction with an emphasis on building shopping malls. In his retirement years, he enjoyed farming, gardening, and woodworking, but, most of all, he loved being Pop to his grandchildren.
Surviving family members include his wife of 51 years Nancy Nicholas; sons, Eric Nicholas and wife Danielle, Mark Nicholas and wife Kelly, Kurt Dempsey and girlfriend Peggy Schiele; granddaughter, Peyton Nicholas; grandsons, Evan Nicholas, Matt Nicholas and wife Natasha, Ryan Nicholas and wife Brianna, Lee Dempsey and wife Chelsea, Darrell Conklin and girlfriend Kimberly; great-granddaughters,
Charlotte, Madison, Nova; great-grandson, Lawson; sister, Mary Fish and husband John; and brother, Richard Nicholas and girlfriend Cheryl Ferguson.
Funeral service was 2 p.m., Feb. 18, 2024, at Hunter Funeral Home. Burial, with full military honors by the Veterans’ Honor Guard, followed in Old Bon Air Cemetery. Cody Holman officiated.
Eric Nicholas, Mark Nicholas, Kurt Dempsey, Matt Nicholas, Ryan Nicholas, and Evan Nicholas served as pallbearers.
Hunter Funeral Home was in charge of arrangements.
