~ IN MEMORY ~
USAF veteran, DL Capt. Frederick
"Rick" Ernest Nickel Jr.
February 21, 1953 - August 4, 2023
Notice of passing….retired Delta Air Lines
pilot Captain Rick Nickel, age 70. Rick
joined Delta Air Lines 11-7-1986. He is
survived by his wife Sue, and by his daughters and their families.
Obituary information may be viewed online at
https://www.springgrove.org/obituary/rick-nickel-jr/
Obituary :
Frederick "Rick" Ernest Nickel Jr., age 70, of Cincinnati,
Ohio, passed away peacefully on Friday, August 4, 2023. Rick was born on
February 21, 1953, in Flint, Michigan, to Frederick Sr. and Marion Nickel (nee
Harding). He grew up outside of Cleveland and attended Brecksville High School.
After high school, Rick attended the United
States Air Force Academy and went on to serve our country as a military pilot
for 20 years, flying the C-141 and retiring as a Lieutenant Colonel and expert
marksman. Rick worked for Delta Airlines until retirement in 2018 as a Captain
on the Boeing 777. Many may not know that he also earned an MBA which is
perhaps why he was such an excellent "advisor" to us all!
On January 17, 1976, Rick married his high
school sweetheart, Sue. Rick and Sue were blessed with three daughters,
Allison, Lauren, and Mallory. Rick was an exceptionally dedicated father,
spending many years at every kind of sporting event and earning the nickname
"Stat Man" for carrying his love of numbers and analytics into track
times and baskets made. Rick traveled the world during his Air Force and Delta
careers and made it a priority to share the experience of travel with his
family. Traveling has always been a cornerstone of the family bond, teaching us
to be worldly and grateful, but also bonding time that knitted us together
tightly in ways we didn't realize until later in life. Some particularly
special trips together were the BVI, skiing annually in UT, and (many!) river
cruises with Sue.
Rick was a renaissance man, universally
liked, all around exceptional person. Given all he accomplished and how adored
he was, his humility is a quality that stands out. He had a love for music,
port wine, hot fries, Twizzlers, routine, exercise, technology, yard work, his dog,
platform tennis, and loving and serving his family in a million different ways.
He was a teacher to many and a pragmatic debater.
Rick will be dearly missed by his loving
wife of 47 years, Sue; daughters, Allison (Brennan) Hill, Lauren (Sean) Gruber,
and Mallory (Marc) Bain; grandchildren, Grant (8), Leo (6), Macy (3), Beau (4),
Carter (2), Sullivan (4 months), Weston (5), and Max (3); sister, Caro (Dave)
Pinto, as well as many nieces, nephews, extended family members, and friends.
In addition to his parents, Rick was preceded in death by his sister, Chris.
In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions
may be made in Rick's honor to the ALS Association or to a charity of your
choice.
An open house celebration of life will be
held on August 19th from 3:00-5:00pm at Coldstream Country Club, 400 Asbury Rd,
Cincinnati, OH 45255.
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