Local leader, pharmacist Nichols dies

Thomas Nichols, who served Del Norte County for nearly 50 years as a pharmacist and a community leader, died Saturday of cancer. He was 70.

Nichols was co-owner of Enderts Drug and then the Medicine Shoppe.

“Tom was one of those guys who very quietly did a lot of things for the community that nobody ever knew about because he was never one to draw attention to himself,” said friend and fellow Rotarian John Pritchett.

Nichols was born in Bend, Ore., in 1941. A life-long Beavers fan, he graduated from Oregon State University and was affiliated with Sigma Chi.

He moved to Crescent City in 1964 and soon partnered with Ston Yackamouih to buy Enderts Drugs. The pair operated the store under that name until 1989, when they joined the Medicine Shoppe franchise, eventually selling the business and retiring in 2008.

“He was a good friend, a good partner and I’ll miss him,” Yackamouih said. “He handled all our patients and clients with care and with respect.”

Nichols was a 42-year Rotarian, past Exalted Ruler of the Elks Lodge, a former School Board member and Crescent Fire Protection District commissioner,  and a member of St. Paul’s Episcopal Church.

He was a driving force behind the Rotary Club’s foreign exchange program, which has brought countless students from afar to Del Norte County and sent local kids abroad.

“His integrity was what really stood out. He was a family man and his boys meant everything to him,” said one of his friends, Judge William Follett.

Nichols was also remembered Monday for his sense of humor.

“He was one of the truest gentlemen I’d ever met. He had a very dry and at the same time devastating sense of humor,” Pritchett recalled. “He kept his good humor at all times and a positive perspective on life.”

Nichols is survived by his wife Carol, sons Matthew, Warren and Allen, grand-daughters Bianca and Samantha, sister Sharon Denney and numerous nieces and nephews.

A gathering of family and friends will be held in Nichols’ memory at the Elks Lodge, 359 H St., from noon until 2 p.m. Saturday.

In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to the Del Norte High School Athletic Fund, 1301 El Dorado, Crescent City, CA 95531