Mr Irwin R. Nicholas

Irwin graduated from Enid High School in 1940. He joined the U. S. Air Corps on February 4th, 1941, acquiring the rank of Technical Sergeant. In August 1942, he took a mandatory reduction in rank to Private in order to attend college at the University of Maryland. He graduated with an associate’s degree in Aeronautical Engineering under the Army Specialized Training Program. He changed from the Air Force to the U. S. Army in April 1943. At the end of September, 1943, he went into combat in the European Theater and was honorably discharged in October of 1945.

Irwin played the violin in his elementary, junior, and senior high orchestras. After the war, he played in the Phillip’s University Symphony orchestra several years.

Irwin worked in his parents’ business, the Oklahoma Broom Company, for ten years from 1946 to 1956. He was married to Virginia Ann Clayton on June 26th, 1949. In June 1956, he was employed at Tinker Air Force Base after taking the Federal Service Entrance Exam. He was the first person at Tinker to be hired under this program, and later, he hired the 100th person under this same program. Irwin retired from Tinker on June 12th, 1981, as Engineer Section Chief in Procurement.

He was an active member of the Marshal & Douglas Church of Christ and later the Ridgecrest Church of Christ. He enjoyed bowling, collecting coins, traveling, hunting, fishing and playing pool & other games. He and his wife traveled in an RV for 20 years after his retirement.

Irwin is survived by his wife, Virginia Nicholas, his daughters Gail Hawkins & Tracey Romberger, three grandchildren , Cary Hawkins, Erica Waters, & Ashley Lefebvre and two great grandchildren, Natalie Waters and Sean Lefebvre.