Nicholas Edward Dean Oh

Nicholas Edward Dean Oh passed away unexpectedly at his residence in Monterey, CA on Thursday morning, June 1st, 2023. He was 53 years old.
Nick was born on June 4th, 1969 to the parents of Nicholas Ward Oh and Lucille Lorraine Andersen in Salinas, CA. After graduating from North Salinas High School in 1987, he lived in Salinas for some time. Nick moved to Fresno, CA in the early 90s, where he met the love of his life Kim Donaher. They married on June 4th, 1994, settled in Chowchilla, CA, and raised three children (Montanna, Macy and Maclain). Nick went on to earn his Bachelors of Arts Degree in Economics at California State University Fresno while working full time at Canandaigua Winery in Madera. Upon graduation from Fresno State, he became a loan officer.
Nick had a vibrant personality and he made a profound impact on the people he met. He always greeted others with a big smile, he had a quick wit, and an absolutely contagious laugh. When he entered a room, you knew it, and he could brighten your day. Nick was a master at the art of networking and was well known as a result; he loved to socialize and meet new people. Nick had a talent for remembering names, along with key details about the people he would meet, which made an impact on those he connected with. Always referred to with both his first and last name, Nick Oh was a memorable character and the definition of "the life of the party"!
Nick Oh had a love for music and movies like no other. He believed that The Rolling Stones had two of the best songs of all time: "Honkey Tonk Women" and "Beast of Burden". His favorite movies included Lonesome Dove, A River Runs Through It, and Meet Joe Black (and pretty much any Brad Pitt movie). Nick was very athletic and passed this gift on to his children who were involved in high school and collegiate athletics. Always the loudest parent in the stands at his children's sporting events, Nick was nearly kicked out of the gym multiple times for being too "enthusiastic".
Nick Oh was a talented golfer and extremely competitive. He took great pride in hitting the longest drive, winning a game a pool, or even being the best at throwing paper wads into a trash can. You could depend on Nick to make everything competitive and fun. Actually, Nick claimed to be the best in the family at everything. He loved to get people riled up with this claim and would revel in the passionate debate that would follow.
Nick Oh's children loved to go to their father for advice because of his unique perspective. He knew how to make light of the worst situations and knew exactly what to say to make everyone feel better. Nick thought it was a gift to feel the highs and lows of life. He felt if we didn't experience the lows, we wouldn't appreciate the highs.
Nick Oh was very passionate about his friends, who he considered "family". He would often tell his children that friendships were just as important as family, because friends were the people who had chosen to be in your life. Nick claimed that a friendship should be treated like a relationship as continued effort was needed to keep these important people around forever. Nick had an abundance of friends, some of which he had known since kindergarten. While in high school, he formed a large friend group affectionately known as "The Hardy Boys"; they are still his great friends today. Nick Oh adored his kids, his family, the "Hardy Boys", friends from the winery, the casino, the bars and everyone else he met along the way.
Nick Oh is preceded in death by his brother Cliff Hedberg and survived by his beloved children - daughter Montanna "Nerd" Vigna (Anthony Vigna), daughter Macy "Mace Face" Oh, son Maclain "Dis Bud" Oh (who inherited Nick's charming personality and infectious smile), and Andrew Crawford (Jacque Crawford). Nick is survived by his father Nick Oh (Marita Johnson), mother Lucille Andersen, siblings Mike Hedberg (Richele Hedberg), Kerry Hedberg, Richie Oh, Michael Oh and Lisa Oh, and many amazing nieces and nephews.
Please join us for Nick Oh's Celebration of Life at 3:00pm on Saturday, June 10th at Pheasant Run Golf Club in Chowchilla, CA (19 Clubhouse Dr, Chowchilla, CA 93601).