Obituary

Mr. Pat C. Nicholl, 69, of Lady Lake, Fla., died on June 13, 2013, of complications following surgery. Born in Amarillo on May 17, 1944, to Dr. Elden C. Nicholl and Lil Haden Nicholl, Pat grew up in Plainview. A vigorous participant in many youth activities, he especially excelled in sports, and he was a lifelong member of the local First Presbyterian Church. Pat graduated from Plainview High School with the Class of 1962, whose members voted him "Best All Around." After graduating from Texas Tech University, he moved to Colorado. Settling in the Denver area, Pat had a long career in the construction industry, mainly as an estimator and site manager for commercial, government and residential infrastructure projects. He also maintained and managed rental properties he owned. In 2005, Pat relocated to Florida with his longtime special friend Fran Tarchalski, and retired in 2006. Pat is survived by two sons, Haden of California and Ryan and wife Eve of Colorado, as well as by Haden's son, Avery B. Nelson. He is also survived by his sons' mother, Joan Brennan Patterson, by his brother, James R. (Jim Bob) Nicholl and wife Kathy of North Carolina, and by his sisters, Carol Staten and husband Ken of Missouri, and Suzanne Kennedy of Florida. He is also survived by seven nieces and nephews and many Nicholl and Haden cousins, as well as by Fran Tarchalski, Todd and Kelly Tarchalski and their sons Tucker and Hunter, and Trish and Dan Corneau and their son Weston, who knew Pat as "Big Papa." Pat was predeceased by his parents and by a brother-in-law, James J. Kennedy III. On Friday, Aug. 16, a memorial gathering will take place close to the twin peaks of the Maroon Bells near Aspen, Colo., and a celebration of Pat's life will be held in Golden, Colo., on Saturday, Aug. 17. Memorials may be made to the following: Cal Farley's Boys Ranch (calfarley.org) near Amarillo; The Lustgarten Foundation (lustgarten.org), supporting pancreatic cancer research; Stand Up 2 Cancer (standup2cancer.org), supporting cancer research. Memorial acknowledgements should go to James R. Nicholl, 3454 Cullowhee Mountain Road, Cullowhee, NC 28723.