Hamilton "Nick" Nichols

Hamilton J. Nichols, Jr., born in Houston on October 18, 1924, to Mary and Hamilton Nichols, passed away peacefully on July 6, 2013. Known as H. J. or Nick to all who loved him, H. J. was a member of the Rice University Athletic Hall of Fame, recipient of the Distinguished R Man Award and a beloved husband, father and “Pa Pa”. H. J. enjoyed distinguished careers in football and law and served his country in World War II. He was Rice’s first lineman to make AP All-American in 1944 before serving in the U.S. Navy in the southwest Pacific in 1945 and 1946. H. J. returned to Rice in 1946 to play his part as a senior on one of the Owls’ greatest teams, the 1946 SWC co-champions and Orange Bowl winners. After graduating from Rice, he played five years of top pro football, four with the Cardinals then in Chicago and the 1947 NFL World Champions and 1948 NFL Western Division Champions before finishing his football career with the Green Bay Packers in 1951. After the NFL, Nick enjoyed a successful career as a claims attorney for Fidelity and Deposit Co. of Maryland before retiring in 1986. Nick is survived by his greatest fan and wife of 65 years, Mary, their twin sons Hal and Hamilton, daughter Denise Otts and her husband Monte, granddaughter, Nicole Anderson and her husband Michael Grillo, grandson Clayton Anderson, niece Caroline Fant and nephew, Nick Fuex. Visitation will begin at 1:30pm followed by funeral service at 2:30pm on Wednesday, July 10, 2013 in the Forest Park Lawndale Chapel. Interment will follow in the Forest Park Lawndale Cemetery. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to: Seventh Church of Christ Scientist 1740 Yorktown Houston, Texas 77056 713.532.7323