Ernest Frederick Nichols of Walpole, New Hampshire, passed away on December 8, after a long illness. He was 79.

Ernie was born on November 20, 1944, in Port Chester, New York, to Norman and Julia (Christensen) Nichols. His father and uncles were vaudeville performers known as the Nichols Nelson Jugglers.

From his teen years, when he first bought a rowboat, Ernie always loved being out on the water. After high school, he bought a passenger ticket for a freight liner, and visited Iceland and other Nordic countries. He was later drafted into the Navy and served for four years as a radio operator.

Ernie met Diane Linda Clark, in New Hampshire, at a ski area where he was employed. They married in 1971. Over the course of their 52 year marriage, Diane and Ernie resided in Thetford, Vermont, as well as Winchester, Keene, and Walpole, New Hampshire. Ernie attended Vermont Technical College on the GI bill. He worked as an electrical engineer at Kingsbury Corporation in Keene, then at Osram Sylvania in Hillsborough. For decades, Ernie was an active member of the Keene Unitarian Universalist Church, where he had many friends. In his retirement, he served as a volunteer, making food deliveries, giving people rides to medical appointments, and helping out at the Walpole Transfer Center.

Ernie loved clowning and juggling, folk music, sailing, reading, and playing cards. He delighted his family with regular outings in their canoe and small sailboat on lakes, ponds, and the coast of Maine. He supported and encouraged everyone he knew, in matters both large and small. His wife, Diane, was the love of his life. He loved being a father, and his family was at the heart of his life.

He will be remembered for his kindness, thoughtfulness, and wry sense of humor.

Services will be held at the Walpole Unitarian Church at 11:00 AM on Saturday, December 30. Donations can be made to the Keene Community Kitchen or the Nature Conservancy.

He is survived by his wife, Diane, his sister, Judith, his children, Drew Nichols, Lisa Nichols, and Erica Siddall, son-in-law, Mark Siddall, and grandchildren, Daniel and Emily Siddall. He was predeceased by his parents and his sister, Joan.

Arrangements have been entrusted to the care of the Fenton and Hennessey Funeral Home, 55 Westminster Street, Bellows Falls, VT.