When Dollar General was thinking about coming to Hickory, Tommy Nichols knew it was the best thing for the community.
Nichols, who served then as mayor of the town, also owned a convenience store in Hickory after he retired of more than two decades of work at La-Z-Boy.
“He knew that Dollar General coming to Hickory was best for the town even though that hurt our business,” said Marc Nichols, one of Tommy’s sons. “He always put the best interests of the town ahead of his own.”
Nichols who served as an aldermen and a two-term mayor in Hickory died on May 3 due to complications from the coronavirus. He was 79.
Marc Nichols confirmed that his father contracted the COVID-19 virus a couple of weeks before his father passed away. He was hospitalized but was unable to recover from the virus.
“It was very sudden,” Marc said. “Everything happened so fast. We are all in a state of shock.”
On behalf of the family, Marc thanked everyone who called, sent flowers, sent cards, showed support via social media posts and shared stories of how his father impacted their lives.
“We never knew just how much of an impact he had on the community,” Marc said. “People have told us stories of how my dad impacted their lives, whether it was something he did or told them a word of encouragement. It’s overwhelming. We really appreciate everyone sharing those stories, some of them we had never heard before. It means a lot to us know the legacy our father leaves behind.”
One reason Tommy had such a huge impact on the community was how he would make an effort to speak to everyone he came in contact with, no matter how many times he had already seen them that day. It was a lesson that Marc learned from an early age, although he didn’t understand why until later.
“When I went somewhere, he would ask me, ‘Did you speak to them?’” Marc said. “I told him that I had already spoken to them one time today, but he would tell me, ‘You always need to speak to them.’ I said, ‘Yes sir,’ and I’d learn to do that. However, I didn’t know why until much later on in my life. That is a skill that has had a huge impact on my life, especially in my professional career.”
That meant a “quick” trip to the store took much longer than you might think.
“He would always speak to everyone he saw that day,” Marc said. “Something that might only take 15 minutes would turn into a trip of over an hour. Usually, he’d run into someone and they’d talk for a while. He never met a stranger.”
Marc also said his dad’s quick wit was legendary.
“He was a very jovial person,” Mark said. “He always had a joke. He had a quick wit. If you said something, you always had to be ready for what he might say. He had a quick comeback ready for you.”
Tommy Nichols was born Oct. 20, 1940, son of the late Tommy and Irene Nichols. He is survived by his wife Daisy Nichols. They have eight living children, 14 grandchildren and 17 great-grandchildren. He also has two brothers, Danny and Kirk. His family was his life.
Marc said his father loved being in Hickory. All except for a couple of years in his 20s, Tommy lived in Hickory.
“He loved Hickory,” Marc said. “He never wanted to go anywhere else. The only time he might leave town was to visit his family.”
In addition to bringing the Dollar General to town, Mark said his father was proud of helping bring the Mississippi Veterans Memorial Cemetery to Newton County. Although it was outside the town limits, it was located between Newton and Hickory.
Mark said his father drove slower than most on the road, but that allowed him a chance to see things that others missed.
“When he’d be driving, he would tell me, ‘Look at those new blooms on that tree,’” Mark said. “I’d ask him, ‘How did you see that while you were driving?’ He would notice things that no other person would notice. Maybe that’s because he drove a little slower than everyone else, but that allowed him a chance to see those things. And that’s something that we learned from him, to notice the little things. The things that you might not see if you’re not paying attention or moving too fast in life. That’s something he taught us to do.”
