Orville Nichols, 85, of LaPorte, Indiana, died at 2:15 a.m. on Sunday, July 31, 2005 at his home.
A funeral service will be held at 11:00 a.m. on Wednesday, August 3, at St. Paul's Episcopal Church with Rev. Jamie Jones officiating. Visitation will be held on Tuesday from 4:30-8:00 p.m. at Cutler Funeral Home and at the church on Wednesday from 10:00 a.m. until the time of the service. Burial will be at 2:30 p.m. on Wednesday at the Crown Hill Cemetery in Knox, Indiana.
Orville was born October 29, 1919 in Knox to the late Orville Wade & Mary Maime (Jones) Nichols, Sr. On June 1, 1942, he married Ann Reppetto, who preceded him in death. On April 27, 1987, he married Phyllis Walcott, who survives.
Also surviving are children Abigail Nichols of Washington, DC, Karen Lee Northrop of Bristol, CT & Wade Nichols of Fishers, IN; grandchildren Abigail Northrop Yeh of Gainesville, FL, Alexander Northrop of Southbury, CT and Anne Nichols of Fishers; stepchildren Peggy Dolaway Schemenauer of Gurnee, IL and James Dolaway of Waco, TX; brothers Robert Nichols of Vincennes, IN and Harold Nichols of Indianapolis; and life-long friend John Whitson of Baton Rouge, LA. His brother, Thomas Nichols, preceded him in death.
Orville was the third generation of his family to practice law in Knox. He was a member of Phi Gamma Delta fraternity and graduated from Indiana University in 1941. He served in the US Army during WW II and graduated from Indiana University Law School with honors in 1948.
He was a 50-year member of the Indiana State Bar Association and served as chairman of its House of Delegates. He was for many years Chairman of the Indiana Lawyer's Title Insurance Corporation advisory board and conducted seminars in title insurance and real estate law. He was admitted to practice law before the United States Supreme Court.
He was either prosecutor of deputy prosecutor for many years in Starke County where in 1972, persons opposed to his anti-corruption work burned his house and bombed his office (no one was hurt). He led the effort that changed Starke County from the Central Time Zone to the Eastern Time Zone in 1991. He was a continuous member of the Knox Development Corporation from its founding in 1957 and promoted building Starke County's new airport in the 1970's.
A lifelong Republican, Orville was active in party politics, first in Starke County and later in LaPorte County. After he married Phyllis and changed his residence to LaPorte, he earned the title "LaPorte County Republican of the Year" for his work on the successful campaign of Carl Krentz for mayor.
He joined St. Paul's Episcopal Church in the 1950's. He served as church treasurer for 25 years. He represented the Diocese of Northern Indiana at four national conventions and was diocesan parliamentarian under 4 bishops. In the 1980's he accompanied his first wife on trips to Haiti and Mexico on behalf of the United Thank Offering, a national charity of the Episcopal Church. He was the second non-Roman Catholic to service on the Board of Trustees of Ancilla College.
He was a 50-year member of the American Legion, was active in the Knox Kiwanis Club, People to People, Meals-on-Wheels, Elderhostel and the American Contract Bridge League and a supporter of YANA.
Governor Robert Orr awarded Nichols the prestigious State honor "Sagamore of the Wabash" in 1985.
Memorials may be made to VNA Hospice, 901 S. Woodland Avenue, Michigan City, IN 46360.
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A funeral service will be held at 11:00 a.m. on Wednesday, August 3, at St. Paul's Episcopal Church with Rev. Jamie Jones officiating. Visitation will be held on Tuesday from 4:30-8:00 p.m. at Cutler Funeral Home and at the church on Wednesday from 10:00 a.m. until the time of the service. Burial will be at 2:30 p.m. on Wednesday at the Crown Hill Cemetery in Knox, Indiana.
Orville was born October 29, 1919 in Knox to the late Orville Wade & Mary Maime (Jones) Nichols, Sr. On June 1, 1942, he married Ann Reppetto, who preceded him in death. On April 27, 1987, he married Phyllis Walcott, who survives.
Also surviving are children Abigail Nichols of Washington, DC, Karen Lee Northrop of Bristol, CT & Wade Nichols of Fishers, IN; grandchildren Abigail Northrop Yeh of Gainesville, FL, Alexander Northrop of Southbury, CT and Anne Nichols of Fishers; stepchildren Peggy Dolaway Schemenauer of Gurnee, IL and James Dolaway of Waco, TX; brothers Robert Nichols of Vincennes, IN and Harold Nichols of Indianapolis; and life-long friend John Whitson of Baton Rouge, LA. His brother, Thomas Nichols, preceded him in death.
Orville was the third generation of his family to practice law in Knox. He was a member of Phi Gamma Delta fraternity and graduated from Indiana University in 1941. He served in the US Army during WW II and graduated from Indiana University Law School with honors in 1948.
He was a 50-year member of the Indiana State Bar Association and served as chairman of its House of Delegates. He was for many years Chairman of the Indiana Lawyer's Title Insurance Corporation advisory board and conducted seminars in title insurance and real estate law. He was admitted to practice law before the United States Supreme Court.
He was either prosecutor of deputy prosecutor for many years in Starke County where in 1972, persons opposed to his anti-corruption work burned his house and bombed his office (no one was hurt). He led the effort that changed Starke County from the Central Time Zone to the Eastern Time Zone in 1991. He was a continuous member of the Knox Development Corporation from its founding in 1957 and promoted building Starke County's new airport in the 1970's.
A lifelong Republican, Orville was active in party politics, first in Starke County and later in LaPorte County. After he married Phyllis and changed his residence to LaPorte, he earned the title "LaPorte County Republican of the Year" for his work on the successful campaign of Carl Krentz for mayor.
He joined St. Paul's Episcopal Church in the 1950's. He served as church treasurer for 25 years. He represented the Diocese of Northern Indiana at four national conventions and was diocesan parliamentarian under 4 bishops. In the 1980's he accompanied his first wife on trips to Haiti and Mexico on behalf of the United Thank Offering, a national charity of the Episcopal Church. He was the second non-Roman Catholic to service on the Board of Trustees of Ancilla College.
He was a 50-year member of the American Legion, was active in the Knox Kiwanis Club, People to People, Meals-on-Wheels, Elderhostel and the American Contract Bridge League and a supporter of YANA.
Governor Robert Orr awarded Nichols the prestigious State honor "Sagamore of the Wabash" in 1985.
Memorials may be made to VNA Hospice, 901 S. Woodland Avenue, Michigan City, IN 46360.