Martha Williams Nichols

Martha was born November 18, 1952 in Santa Ana, CA, the second of four children, to Robert Henry “Bob” Williams III, and Mildred Lucile “Lukie” Williams (nee Babbit). The family relocated to Fort Collins, CO in 1959 and Martha always considered it her home town. Throughout the 1960s, she attended several local schools, making friends at each along the way, and graduated from Poudre High School in 1970. She briefly attended Colorado State University. In September 1978 at the Long Branch in LaPorte, she met the love of her life in Andrew Nichols and their whirlwind romance led to their marriage the following March. They were married nearly 40 years and had two daughters, Liberty and Bonnie. After living for a while in Wellington, Fort Collins, and Penrose, the family ultimately settled in Bellvue, near Lory State Park in 1984. Despite being plagued by health troubles for most of her life, Martha maintained an optimistic outlook and was always friendly and outgoing.

Martha had many careers in her life, working as an occasional private music teacher, a radio DJ, a line manager at Waterpik, a technical editor, and later began her own company, aMuse Productions, working directly with authors on editing, formating, and graphic design to prepare for self-publishing. She was lovingly dubbed “Production Woman” and lived up to the title well. She was also a stay-at-home parent while her daughters were young and was a frequent volunteer at Cache la Poudre Elementary School. She was especially involved with the publishing center where students could turn their stories into proper books with covers and binding.

Martha was passionate about music, and her family and friends. Fortunately, there was often overlap between the two. Music was plentiful in her home growing up, since Bob was a piano and voice teacher and Lukie ensured there was always music in the home, by singing or listening to the radio. The four siblings played instruments and sang constantly – the three sisters, especially, often played and sang harmonies together. Martha played the guitar and violin beautifully and was often asked to play at friends’ weddings. Martha particularly loved playing and singing any song written by her sister Kathryn, and one of her favorite pieces to play on her violin was “Ashokan Farewell.” She frequently sought opportunities to create music with others, playing for many years in the Loveland Chamber Orchestra, in the pit orchestra for several musical theater productions, and in private trios and quartets.

Martha’s friends became her second family and she remained close with friends from as far back as grade school as well as nearly every job she held throughout her life. In fact, her daughters often dreaded going grocery shopping with her when they were young because she always seemed to see someone she knew and wanted to catch up with at length. As one of her long-term friends stated, Martha had a PhD in love.

We thank Optimal Hospice for making her final days easier for her and those who loved her. We would like to thank Peggy Crate for her invaluable help and steadfast presence in December. We would've been lost without your guiding light.

Martha was preceded in death by her parents Bob and Lukie, her husband Drew, and brothers-in-law Robert Doyle Nichols, Billy Jack Nichols, and Steven Morski.

She is survived by her daughters Liberty ImMasche (Eli) and Bonnie Nichols, grandson Victor ImMasche, sisters Kathryn Morski and Givhan Williams (Omar White), brother Kip Williams (Cathy Doyle), sisters-in-law Paula Sutton (Bruce) and Lori Elliot (Kerry), nephews Brian Morski (Kayla), Michael Sutton (Erin), and Matthew Sutton (Amanda), nieces Caitlin Kirchenwitz (Corey), Verity Swaney, Sarah Williams, Samantha Elliot, and Riley Elliot, uncle Donald Mace Williams, aunt Linda Newland (John), and many beloved cousins and friends. She was also an honorary mother and grandmother to many of her daughters’ friends, including (but not limited to) Christina Spencer and her children Kyra and Talon, and Kat Powell.

Cremation will be conducted by Allnutt Funeral Service. A Celebration of Life will be held on Sunday January 18, 2026 from 1:30-4:30 p.m. in the Prairie Sage Room at the Fort Collins Senior Center. Please do not bring food to the family – we appreciate the thought but are well-fed and lack storage space for extra food.

In lieu of flowers, please make a donation to either the Crohn’s & Colitis Foundation, the Breast Cancer Research Foundation, or your local women’s shelter in Martha’s name.