Nona Delores Paul Nichols, 84

Nona Delores Paul Nichols passed away Feb. 25, 2015, in Yakima, Washington.

She was born July 25, 1930, to George and Bertha Paul of rural Bigfork. She grew up on her family’s diversified dairy farm near Bigfork and attended Bigfork public schools. She was an active student, holding class and school-wide leadership positions and playing trumpet in the high school’s marching band.

Nona attended the University of Montana in Missoula where she was part of the marching band and Alpha Phi sorority. She earned her degree in business education. She and a group of friends worked in the Wyoming oil boom and she eventually returned to Bigfork to teach in the public schools and assist her parents on the farm.  

Nona married her high school sweetheart, James Harold Nichols, in 1957, first via radio while he was stationed overseas, and later, face-to-face, back in Bigfork. She and Jim farmed with her parents and later moved to the Washington, D.C., area, where Jim worked for the National Security Agency, and Nona taught high school business, in Washington D.C., and at Laurel Senior High School in Laurel, Maryland, where she was voted Teacher of the Year. She completed a master’s degree from the University of Maryland, and her coursework for a Ph.D. in economics. 

Nona and Jim moved back west to the Yakima Valley, Washington, in the 1970s, settling in rural Naches. At mid-life, she studied for and passed the CPA exam, which led to her work as chief financial officer for El Ranchito restaurant and tortilla factory in Zillah, Washington, from which she retired.

Nona was an active member of the Naches Presbyterian Church, serving numerous terms as elder and treasurer for the congregation. She enjoyed sewing, gardening, the outdoors, her dogs, professional sports (especially baseball) and staying abreast of current events. Her passions in life included her investments, her work, grandchildren’s sporting events, music concerts and dance recitals, her church, and her family. In her retirement, she enjoyed traveling with the family making many trips to Montana, South Dakota, and special trips to England, France and Italy.

Nona was preceded in death by her parents; a brother, Stanley; and her husband.

She is survived by her two sons Clifford Paul and Patty of Toppenish, Washington, and Timothy John and Laurie of Brookings, South Dakota; grandchildren, Paul, Lauren, Luke, Jordan and Hannah; and cousin Judith Ann Paul, of Corvallis.

Funeral services were held March 1 at Peace of Christ Church in Naches. Burial will be held at a later date at C.E. Conrad Memorial Cemetery in Kalispell. To share a memory, visit www.keithandkeith.com.