Charles R. Nicholson

1933 - 2023

Charles R. Nicholson
December 2, 1933 - April 30, 2023
Kanopolis Lake, Kansas - God cast out his golden net and got himself a Keeper! Charles Roland Nicholson, 89, passed away Sunday, April 30th at Ellsworth County Medical Center, surrounded by his family.
Chuck was born Dec 2, 1933, to Gene and Cecil Nicholson on the farm just a few miles north of Maize, KS. He spent his youth on the farm with his parents, and 11 brothers and sisters, learning the value of hard work and family. In high school, Chuck proved himself on the track, the court and on the football field, playing 8 man football. While at Maize High School, he met his high school sweetheart, Beverly Cathey, and they were wed soon after graduation. They raised 4 children together, Doug, Kent, Stephanie and Angie. They separated after 35 years of marriage.
Chuck was a plumber by trade, but his passion was the outdoors. He was an avid hunter, fisherman, photographer, and storyteller. The outdoors was his church and he cast his prayers out with his fishing line. He taught his kids to respect the Earth, respect themselves and others, and to be self-sufficient.
During his retirement years, he moved up to his cabin at Kanopolis Lake. He built the cabin with his own two hands, out of cinderblock and concrete. He worked on it over the course of his lifetime, so he would have a special place for friends and family. He loved to feed the deer in front of his cabin. People often stopped when they saw him standing in his front yard surrounded by deer and visited with him. Everyone knew Chuck loved to visit and was quick to laugh. He quickly made an extended family from the neighbors and community at the lake. Two of his neighbors referred to him as their "Lake Dad". He loved his lake family very much.
Chuck was preceded in death by his parents, Gene and Cecil Nicholson, his brother's Marty, Robert, Carl and John Nicholson; his sisters Glenda Gene Nicholson, Donna Fraizer, Linda Pennington, Fredia Woodruff, and Nancy Grover; and children Steven Nicholson, Lee Burke (SIL) and Joella Nicholson (DIL).
He is survived by sisters Connie Lee and Jenny Radcliff; children Doug (Mary) Nicholson, Kent Nicholson, Stephanie Burke (Joe Reilly), Angie (Shannon) Bayliff, Isaac Jack (Dela Stilwell), and Jacob Nicholson; grandchildren Sabrina (Jeff) Spaulding, Steven Nicholson (Dustin Busham), Michelle Li (Chris Cochran), Jessica (Jason) Nanke, Hilary (Don) Cupery, Elizabeth Burke, Lee Harrison Burke, Kyle, Sam, Eryn and Ryan Bayliff; and great grandchildren Gabriel Nicholson, Kaitlan Juel Spaulding, Lily, Penny, Steele and Gage Cupery.
Memorial Service will be 10:00 am, Saturday, May 13, 2023, at Downing & Lahey West Mortuary. In lieu of flowers, please send a donation in dad's name to: Kanopolis State Park, in memory of Chuck Nicholson, 200 Horsethief Road, Marquette, Kansas 67464. Share tributes online at: www.dlwichita.com