Ann Nichols

A funeral mass for Phyllis Ann Nichols, 75, of N. Halagueno Street, will be held at 10:00 a.m. on Thursday, February 4, 2016 at St. Edward Catholic Church with Father Pasala Hruday Kumar officiating. Ennichement will follow in Carlsbad Cemetery, Carlsbad, NM. Immediately after burial, all friends and family are welcome and encouraged to gather at Immanuel Lutheran Church, 906 N. Halagueno Street, to celebrate Ann's life. Ann Nichols was born on March 3, 1940 in Charlotte, North Carolina and was the oldest of three siblings. She graduated from West Mecklenburg High School in 1957, and married her husband Ronald A. Nichols in 1979. A few years into their marriage, the couple partnered to manage and maintain the Rancho Verde Apartment Community in Albuquerque, New Mexico. It was here that Ann found great fulfillment connecting with each member of her community and was able to express her deep love for others. She enjoyed caring for plants that she kept plentiful around the complex, and would adamantly decorate each year during the holidays so that no one would miss out on the joy of the season. In 2001, Ann and Ron relocated to Carlsbad to help care for Ron's mother, Edna Nichols, where they quickly became cherished members of the community. Only two years after their move to Carlsbad, Ron passed calmly in his sleep, at which time Ann chose to remain in Carlsbad. She built a strong relationship with Edna and was compassionately devoted to supporting her until Edna's death in 2008. During Ann's time in Carlsbad, she bloomed where she was planted. Fellow neighbors became friends; these friends became family. The love that Ann exhibited to those around her was boundless. She lived by the advice that she often gave others, to live life with an open heart and an open soul. Ann believed that life is a school in which we are challenged, able to grow and able to learn who we really are. Although, in her words, it took "many years to stop throwing spitballs in class," time allowed Ann to flower into her true self and learn to value all of the colors of her soul. She found each form of life to be as special as another; the bonds she formed with her family, her friends, her pets, and her garden, fruitfully blossomed throughout her life. The lush garden she nurtured in her back yard clearly revealed her deep passion for nature; her gold was in the rich soil she cultivated. Ann would cry often, but would follow with the words, "these are not tears of sadness..." She simply felt and experienced all that life had to offer, ever so deeply. Ann was also a woman of great faith who strongly felt the presence of God in all aspects of her life. Despite her emotional nature, her hearty sense of humor served in adding yet another color to her vibrant personality. On the morning of January 19th, 2016, Ann passed away at Mesilla Valley Hospice in Las Cruces, New Mexico. Weeks' prior to her passing, Ann was brought to Las Cruces where she could be closer to her immediate family. She was surrounded by loved ones in all of the days that preceded her passing, and came to rest peacefully in the comfort of her loving family and friends. Ann Nichols was preceded in death by her husband of 25 years, Ronald Nichols; mother, Dorothy Pratt; father, Everett Pratt; grandmother, Maw Maw Julia Pratt; grandfather, dear Paw Paw Wallace Pratt; in-laws, Edna and Chester Nichols; and nephew, Gabriel Pratt. Ann is survived by three daughters, Diane Furlong and husband David, of Canyon, British Columbia, Canada, Susan Donovan of Jemez Springs, New Mexico, and Rebecca Chavez of Las Cruces, New Mexico; grandchildren, Jennifer Sousa and husband, Joshua Sousa, of Murrieta, California, Carina Gartel and husband, Dan Uniacke, of Calgary, Alberta, Canada, Julia Reedy and husband, Matt Reedy, of Portsmouth, Virginia, Brittany Chavez of Las Cruces, New Mexico and Tyler Chavez of Las Cruces, New Mexico; great grandchildren, Elle Hathaway and Tilly Sousa; sister, Susie Jenkins and husband, Bill, of Charlotte, North Carolina; brother, Foy Pratt and wife, Gina, of Smyrna, South Carolina; beloved spiritual mentor, Sister Vencentia; an abundance of nephews, nieces and precious friends. In lieu of flowers, the family requests contributions be made to Noah's Ark 5217 Buena Vista Drive, Carlsbad, NM, 88220, the Carlsbad Humane Society Inc., P.O. Box 1318, Carlsbad, N.M., 88221-1318, or any other animal shelter program.