Terri Jean Nichols (1965-2015)

Terri Nichols, 49, passed peacefully in her home in Kenosha, WI on September 24, 2015.  Terri was born December 27, 1965 in Kenosha, the daughter of Dale and Karen Nichols.

In 2013, Terri completed a longstanding goal, when she graduated Summa Cum Laude with a Bachelor’s degree in Early Education from Concordia University – an incredible accomplishment!

Terri had a lifelong love of teaching, spending nearly thirty years in education.  She was a teacher in the Head Start program for more than a decade, helping kids in their formative years so they could be successful throughout their lives.  Her students still remember Terri and the impact she had on them many years later.
Terri loved life, her friends and her family.  She loved to laugh, to sing, play games like charades, and have fires in the backyard.  Most of all she enjoyed spending time with her family.  Terri was a centerpiece at family gatherings around the holidays and barbecues at the lake.  She started a tradition of reading a poem to celebrate those with us in spirit every Fourth of July before an annual balloon release – a tradition the family will carry on.
Her real joy in life centered on her two daughters and her awesome grandsons Aiden and Colin – she was a hands on Grandma.  ‘Nanie’ played a very important part of their daily lives – playing, teaching and loving them.  Her spirit will continue to be a strong guiding light in their lives.

Terri is survived by her two daughters, Lindsey Fox and Lori Ptak and by her two grandsons, all of Kenosha, WI.  Terri is also survived by her two sisters, Tammy (Mark) Buthman of Southlake, TX and Glenda Wilson of Kenosha, WI, and her brother Dale (Janice) Nichols of Kenosha, WI.

A celebration of Terri’s life will be held Saturday, October 3, 2015 at 11:00AM at The Messiah Lutheran Church, Kenosha, WI.