Jeffery Nicholas

Jeffery Deen Nicholas

“Skip”

March 29, 1968 ~ May 14, 2014

On Wednesday May 14, 2014, our dear husband, father, uncle, brother, and friend Jeffery (Skip) Deen Nicholas passed unexpectedly from this earthly life and went on to his heavenly home. He was born in Ogden on March 29, 1968 to Julia Searle (deceased) and Heber Kay Nicholas.

From an early age Jeff (Skip) had a love for the outdoors. Growing up along the Wasatch Front allowed him plenty of opportunities to drop a fishing line in the water, or sling his rifle on his back and head for the hills. He absolutely loved to be outdoors. He tried every hobby to the extreme. His first love was fishing and hunting and as a teenager his father, brothers, cousins, and uncles spent countless hours and days together enjoying every minute. He tried every form of fishing, such as bait, fly (and learned to tie those flies), and trolling behind a boat.   Hunting was the same. He loved fowl and big game hunting and loved to see his sons and his daughter enjoy this pastime too.

He met the love of his life Molly Lorenzen at the age of 18. They married on June 20, 1991. Their marriage was later solemnized in the Salt Lake City LDS Temple on May 18, 2007. The love they shared was admired by everyone around them and they cherished every minute they were together. This amazing love brought them three beautiful children, Jason Jeffery 18, currently serving in the El Salvador, San Salvador East Mission, Brendan David 16, and Kathryn Jo (Katie) 12. This sweet little family was the center of Skip’s world. Everyone knew that nothing mattered more to him than Molly and the kids.

Growing up and working alongside his father, he became a craftsman at heart; Jeff knew he wanted to work with his hands. He ventured down a few different career paths then eventually worked with several different commercial construction companies until he found his home in 1997 with Jacobsen Construction as a superintendent, where he has spent the last 17 years working on some of the most iconic structures in the state—including The Regent at City Creek, The Grand America and the LDS Conference Center—as well as the LDS temple in Texas and at Pearl Harbor in Hawaii. Most recently he was working on a collection of office buildings at Thanksgiving Park in Utah County—but Jeff constructed much more than walls and floors. Jeff built lasting friendships with clients he considered family while building strong bonds of trust and camaraderie with his team. In the last decade of his career, that was what was really important to Jeff: Building people whenever he could.

Jeff built testimonies as well, every time he shared the story of his mighty change of heart—the one that brought him and his family back into the LDS Church in 2005. He spoke at many youth firesides about his journey—a broken, hurting man who went from living a life rejecting Jesus Christ to living a life embracing Him—and how that transformation prompted him to share his love for the Gospel. At church Jeff served faithfully as a Scoutmaster, Gospel Doctrine Teacher, Elders Quorum President and, most recently, Second Counselor in the Bishopric of the Lakeview Ward, Hooper Stake. At work, Jeff’s office was wallpapered with pictures of temples and quotes from General Authorities; his scriptures, worn and weathered, lay open on his desk almost all the time. And on his beloved Harley was his most loved Book of Mormon hero: Captain Moroni, clad in the Armor of God and waving the Title of Liberty. He loved the Temple Riders and his trademark was taking pictures of his Harley in front of every Temple he could.

Jeff was the third born child to Heber Kay Nicholas and Julia Searle. He loved his parents dearly. He had four siblings, Randy Nicholas, Idaho; Shamra Nicholas (deceased); Jenafer Sonnenburg, Texas; H. Glenn Nicholas (deceased). His parents later divorced. His father then married his step mother Ruth and he gained some incredible siblings: Melissa (Mark) Powers, Morgan UT; Eric (Amy) Nicholas, Las Vegas, NV; Ryan Nicholas, Salt Lake City; along with his half siblings Natalie (Aureliano) Montes, Los Banos, CA; and Jacob Nicholas, Morgan, UT; and a special sister-in-law, Christen (Nicholas) Larsen, Syracuse, UT.

Jeff was preceded in death by his grandparents – Oleen Nicholas, Richard Michael and Clarence and Fern Searle; mother-Julia Searle Hope; sister-Shamra Nicholas; brother- H. Glenn Nicholas; brother- Alex Nicholas; and niece- Savannah Sonnenburg.

Jeff is survived by his sweetheart Molly Nicholas, his two amazing sons – Jason and Brendan and his pumpkin Katie; his previously mentioned siblings as well as the Lorenzen and Jacoway families and many wonderful aunts, uncles, cousins, nieces and nephews.

Jeff would not want us to grieve for our loss but continue his missionary work. “We all love you so much. Until we meet again.”

Funeral services will be held Friday, May 23, 2014 at 11 a.m. at the Lakeview Ward Chapel, 5375 South 5900 West, Hooper.  Friends may visit family on Thursday, May 22, 2014 from 5 to 8 p.m. at Lindquist’s Roy Mortuary, 3333 West 5600 South and Friday from 9:30 to 10:30 at the Lakeview Ward Chapel.

Interment, Hooper Cemetery.

The family would like to give a special thanks to dear friends Roger Bodily and Ryan Freeman as well as the EMT personnel and staff at McKay-Dee Hospital for the valiant efforts and kindness during this difficult time.