Cover photo for Jack Nicholas's Obituary
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1921 Jack 2012

Jack Nicholas

September 30, 1921 — May 27, 2012

Jack Nicholas, 90, Indianapolis, passed away May 27, 2012. He was born at his childhood home on Kessler Boulevard on September, 30, 1921, the son of the late Wilbur Harrison and Edith Camille (Dawson) Nicholas. He married Emma Hane (Steadman) Nicholas on July 19, 1944. She preceded him in passing on December 25, 1991. Jack won a scholarship to John Herron School of Art, but declined, instead choosing to attend Rose Hulman Institute of Technology. He had attended college for two years, when the United States entered WWII. Jack felt a duty to serve and, instead of taking a college deferment, he proudly chose to serve as a pilot in the Army Air Forces. He was awarded The Purple Heart for surviving an emergency landing after being shot down in North Africa. He was a third generation real estate developer and builder in Indianapolis. His grandfather, Abraham Rowlin Nicholas, and father, Wilbur Harrison Nicholas, owned and developed much of the land in Broad Ripple. After the war, in 1946, he started his own real estate business, Jack Nicholas Real Estate, and developed 75 acres of residential property in the Broad Ripple area. In 1950, he was one the first to own and develop residential property in Nora, and built several neighborhoods in the area. He went on to build many custom homes on the northside, and elsewhere, but was most proud of his energy-efficient office buildings. He continued until his retirement in 1992, when he moved to his wife's family home in Denmark, SC. He was a member of the First Baptist Church of Denmark, and loved spending his time at the Denmark Country Club on the Edisto River. He was a member of Alpha Tau Omega fraternity, The Gideons International, and also a former member and Sunday School teacher, at Central Baptist Church in Indianapolis, IN. He was a pilot at heart and this continued to be his passion until he was 78. He also enjoyed keeping up with the news and world events. He is survived by three daughters, Mary Edith (Al) Dent, Naples, FL, Jacqueline Steadman Nicholas (husband Doug Meadows), Indianapolis, IN, Adeline Hane (Curt) Hanna, Fortville, IN; five grandchildren, Suzanne, Kathleen, Nicholas, Rachel, Christina; five great grandchildren, Emma, Scott, Jakob, Lauren, Nathan; and a brother, Jay Nicholas. He was preceded in death by a brother, Harrison Nicholas, Jr. Services will be 3:00 p.m. Sunday, June 3, 2012, at the First Baptist Church, 433 South Beech Avenue, Denmark, SC. Visitation will be one hour prior to the service at church. Burial, with military honors, will follow at Denmark Cemetery. Memorial contributions may be directed to The Gideon's International. Online condolences may be made by visiting www.flannerbuchanan.com. Arrangements were entrusted to Flanner and Buchanan – Broad Ripple, Indianapolis and Dukes Harley Funeral Home, Orangeburg, SC. You are invited to go to the Guest Book page to pass along your personal message or tell a story. Sincerely, -Your friends at Flanner and Buchanan
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