John "Pete" Niceley

1932 - 2023

John "Pete" Niceley
July 30, 1932 - May 6, 2023
Walnut Creek, California - Our beloved husband and father, John Niceley, passed away at home, May 6, 2023, at the age of 90, after a long period of declining health.
John was born in Fresno, California. He was the much loved only child of Helen Margaret Niceley (née Baxter) and John Niceley. Though John was named after his father, his father was the one who called him "Pete" – and he stayed "Pete" until the Marine Corps insisted on "John".
John was a child of the Depression. His father died when he was young. His mother worked as a telephone operator, and they had the help of a large, extended family. They finally were able to buy their own home when he was in High School. In High school he loved art, football, and baseball. His mother would not let him take a paper route, because it would have interfered with his ability to participate in sports.
After a year at Fresno State, John joined the Marine Corps and served as a forward observer during the Korean War.
When he came home from Korea, he started working for Jimmy DeRade as a draftsman. When his ability was recognized, he was encouraged to back to college and study architecture. He attended UC Berkeley for a while, then worked for several architects in the Bay Area, eventually getting his architecture license. He enjoyed design and was in demand for his renderings in an era before there were computers to generate 3D pictures.
He continued working as an Architect with his own practice until 2017, when he retired. He enjoyed long drives, painting, crossword puzzles, research projects online, swimming and water aerobics classes. He will be remembered for his steady support, his loving warm smiles, hugs, silly sense of humor, the stories he shared and the beauty of the drawings and designs he produced.
John is survived by his wife of 41 years, Susan, and their children: Amelia Niceley-Mathews, Katherine Schultz, and Victoria Niceley, as well as his children: Lisa Scott, Hilary Kasparian, Amanda Ferrarini, and Jerry Niceley. He is also survived by his grandchildren, Alexis Ferrarini-Tommasi, Madison Ferrarini-Lee, Jacob Neenan, Nick Kasparian, Sam Scott, Elijah Scott, and Jeremiah Scott.
A Celebration of John's life is planned for his birthday, the afternoon of July 30, 2023 from noon to 3 at home in Walnut Creek. Burial is to follow the next morning in Fresno's Belmont Memorial Park at 10 a.m. July 31, 2023. For more information, please contact Susan at 925-286-2582.