Daniel George Nichols

Daniel George Nichols, devoted husband, loving father and grandfather and dedicated St. Louis police officer for 36 years, died Sunday (July 9, 2017) at Barnes-Jewish Extended Care in Clayton after an 11-year battle with bone cancer.

Born March 31, 1952, he was the second of seven children of Mary Ann and the late Robert J. Nichols of south St. Louis. He graduated from St. Mary’s High School in 1970, the year he met Dianne “Dolly” Casanover of Affton at a teen town dance. They were married in 1977 and have three children, three grandchildren and a fourth due this month.

He joined the Police Department in 1973 and was shot and seriously wounded while answering a disturbance in 1977. He was proudest of his 11 years as a homicide detective, when he earned the street name “Dapper Dan” for his sharp attire. He was promoted to sergeant in 1988 and retired in 2009.

He received his bachelor’s degree from St. Louis University in 1993. Seven years later, he graduated from the night program of the university’s School of Law, and passed the Bar on his first attempt.

He was diagnosed in 2006 with osteosarcoma and underwent treatment at Barnes-Jewish Hospital and MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston. He and Dolly often traveled to Houston by car with their beloved black Labrador, Gus. He maintained an active life until the last year of his illness.

He enjoyed gardening, cooking gourmet dishes for family and friends and bocci at Milo’s. He and Dolly traveled five times to Europe, where their favorite country was Italy. They last visited Europe in 2014.

In addition to his wife, he is survived by two sons, Clayton (Rachel) and Brent, and one daughter, Lauren (Brian) Wacker, all of St. Louis; three grandchildren, Rose Nichols and Edmund and Jeannette Wacker; his mother, Mary Ann Popp of St. Louis; three brothers, John (Lisa) of Swansea, Jim (Jen) of San Antonio and George (Carmen) of Troy, Ohio; and two sisters, Charleen (Bill) Schindler of Webster Groves and Linda Nichols of St. Louis. His oldest sister, Kathy (Jim) Nielsen, died in 2016.

Visitation will be 4:00 pm – 8:00 pm Thursday at Hoffmeister Colonial Mortuary, 6464 Chippewa Street. Funeral Mass will be at 10:00 am Friday at St. Stephen Protomartyr Catholic Church, 3949 Wilmington Avenue.

The family thanks Dr. Vinod Ravi of MD Anderson. Memorials to Backstoppers.