Nicholas Lee Birkel

Nicholas Lee (Nick) Birkel

May 7, 2022

Nicholas Lee Birkel (Nick) of Lincoln passed away May 7 at the age of 73, after courageously battling stage 4 colon cancer for 16 months. His final days were spent just as he would have wanted - surrounded by his wife and children; with grandchildren playing ball in the yard and tearing up the house; and with a steady stream of family, friends, and priests stopping by to show their love and say their goodbyes.

Nick was born to Clarence "Farmer" and Ludmilla "Ludy" Birkel in 1948, near David City, NE. Growing up on the family farm as one of eight children, he developed a strong work ethic and sense of teamwork from an early age. He graduated from David City Aquinas High School in 1967, and graduated from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln in 1971.

After five years in the insurance industry, he put himself through Creighton Pharmacy School, thus beginning two decades of entrepreneurship and innovation as a pharmacist. Over the course of 20+ years, he owned and operated Birkel's Pharmacy, a neighborhood retail pharmacy; opened, owned and operated Option Care, the first home infusion pharmacy in Lincoln; and started, owned and operated Pharmacy Specialty Services, the first compounding only pharmacy in Lincoln. He successfully built each of these businesses from the ground up, always putting the patient first. He finished his career as a retail pharmacy manager, enjoying the relationships he built with regular customers.

More important than the work he loved were the two things most essential to him: his faith and his family. He was actively involved in St. Joseph's Catholic Church, St. Pius X Catholic High School, Catholic Social Services (CSS), and many other organizations. Among other things, he served as an acolyte at church, a member of the Serra Club, a supporter of the CSS Transition Program for families in need, and a member of the St. Pius X High School Board of Directors.

He was a devoted father who prioritized his kids over almost everything else. He coached numerous youth sports teams over many years; always rearranged his work schedule to make sure he could attend the school play, the science fair, or the summer morning baseball game; tried to film all kids' games and activities with a giant camcorder; and planned trips to every part of this country for his family. As the kids got into high school sports, the Birkel's often volunteered to serve as team parents, generously opening their home to host countless team parties and gatherings.

Although somewhat quiet and laid back, Nick loved being surrounded by people, had a dry sense of humor, and told hilarious stories. His incredible memory remained intact to the end, and he either knew every college fight song or had a remarkable talent for faking it. Most importantly, he was kind, gentle, unassuming, and was the least judgmental man you could ever meet. He respected people for who they were and gave everyone a fair shake.

Nick is survived by his wife, Cherie, with whom he shared 42 years of marriage and countless adventures; five children, Shane (Andrea), T.J. (Sally-Shannon), Matt (Libing), and Andy (Kelsey) Birkel, and Katie Vetter (Austin), with whom he shared his love of sports (especially Husker sports), travel, and movies (especially any movie involving Clark Griswold); and nine grandchildren, Heather, Lucy, Oliver, Michael, Hudson, Charlotte, Grace, Olivia, and Leo, with grandbaby #10 set to arrive in September. He is also survived by two brothers, five sisters, and several brothers- and sisters-in-law and many nieces and nephews.

Visitation: Monday, May 16, 2022 from 10am to 4pm at Butherus Maser & Love Funeral Home and Monday and 6-7pm at St. Joseph Catholic Church, 1940 South 77th Street, Lincoln, Rosary will begin at 7pm. Funeral Mass, Tuesday, May 17, 2022 at 10am at St. Joseph Catholic Church. The service will be livestreamed, please visit www.bmlfh.com for the live stream link. Burial: Tuesday, May 17, 2022 at 3:30pm at Resurrection Cemetery, 7710 West Center Road, Omaha, NE, 68124. Condolences can be sent to www.bmlfh.com Butherus, Maser & Love Funeral Home will be handling the arrangements.