Monday, March 24, 2025
The best description of Dean was that he was GENEROUS in spirit, humor, and compassion and he happily shared the fruits of his labor with family and friends. He had a twinkle in his eye and a sense of humor, which drew people to him. He loved to argue a point but could do it without confrontation.
Dean was born to hard-working parents who instilled a strong work ethic and the importance of family. Dean was his father’s only child (hence, spoiled) and his mother’s fourth child (didn’t tolerate spoiled children). It was a good balance in that Dean excelled in school and enjoyed playing sports in Richland, Washington. He followed his brother’s footsteps by enrolling in Whitman College in Walla Walla.
The college was always dear to Dean as that is where he met his wife of 53 + years and formed lifelong friendships that he cherished through the years. In the spirit of giving back, he served as the chairman of the Board of Trustees audit committee plus served as a member of the Board.
Dean’s economics degree from Whitman influenced his decision to attend University of Pennsylvania business school. He received his MBA from the Wharton School in 1972. Dean wasn’t ready for the corporate world so upon graduation, he was accepted into the Woodrow Wilson Fellowship program for college administrators. He was passionate about the importance of education and thought that sound business practices would improve higher education. Dean was a financial administrator and economics instructor at Fisk University in Nashville, TN, for two years and while there, he learned the very basics of computer sciences and the untapped power of business computers. He was at the right place at the right time!!
Dean and his wife, Carla, yearned for the Pacific Northwest and so a job offer from Arthur Anderson in Seattle was accepted. A U-Haul truck was loaded up and the move happened in June 1974. Dean started as a consultant, helping various companies adopt computer services for their accounting practices. Nordstrom, Boeing, Mariners, and Microsoft were a few of his clients. Dean became a partner in 1982 and by 1986, he moved his family to Sacramento, California, to head up the state government practice for Accenture.
Although he was busy with his career, the family side was equally rewarding. Dean and Carla had three sons, Jefferson, Charlie and Mark. All were redheads, all were spunky and Dean loved them. Camping, boating, skiing were all favorite family adventures. While Dean was job-focused Monday through Friday, come Saturday … he was all dad!!
Dean retired at 54 years of age, which brought new adventures as Dean always loved boating and had a dream of designing and owning a NEW boat. “Loose Change” was a 50-foot thing of beauty – every inch was a result of Dean’s meticulous planning. Loose Change was built in Sweden and the Nichols family sailed from that northern spot into the Mediterranean Sea. It was going to be a five year project that got stretched into twelve years.
Twice a year, the Nichols would spend six weeks on Loose Change. Happy times were had on the decks of the boat as friends were invited to come spend a few days, soak up new experiences and also be scared out of one’s mind when the winds went crazy!! Twelve years later, the journey ended on the west coast of Turkey. During that time, over thirty different friends and family came to feel the breeze on their face as Dean manned the helm.
For the past ten years Dean focused on things closer to home. Grandkids were being born, yard work attempted, volunteer commitments to Edmonds College carried out, as well as a brief stint as a Port of Edmonds Commissioner. Dean also served on the board of trustees for Inglewood Golf Club, where he championed policies to invest in reserve funds.
The “Loose Change” was switched out for a motor cruiser, “Things Change,” and with the new vessel, Dean and Carla cruised the waters of British Columbia each summer. He organized a men’s book club, meticulously planned annual family vacations – but nothing gave Dean more pleasure than sharing time with his grandkids.
Quirky little things: He loved ice cream and he couldn’t eat bread or pancakes without peanut butter. In spring and summer months, he enjoyed the look of a freshly mowed lawn. Being on or near water always lifted his spirits. He kept his word. He bought his wife fancy jewelry!
Dean battled cancer for eighteen months and was resolute that if the battle was lost, he had still won due to cherishing a rewarding life, career, travel, and family. A favorite moment for Dean was sitting on his back patio, looking at the Olympic mountains and watching an incredible sunset and feeling thankful for the rewarding and fun life he created and lived to the fullest.
Dean is survived by his wife of 54 years, Carla Nichols of Woodway, sons Jefferson Nichols of Edmonds, Charlie Nichols (Alicia) of Woodway, and Mark Nichols (Tricia) of Thousand Oaks, California. Dean’s legacy and love of family lives on through his six precious grandchildren.
A Celebration of Life party will be held at the Nichols residence in Woodway in early August. Details can be found at the following email: deannichols.celebrationoflife@gmail.com. In lieu of flowers, donations in Dean’s honor can be directed to Fred Hutch Cancer Center, P.O. Box 19024, Seattle, WA
