Proctor was born to Proctor Wallace Nichols and Florence Cremin Nichols in Colorado Springs, Colorado June 7, 1944. He grew up in Colorado Springs where he graduated from the Fountain Valley School, prior to attending Mesa Junior College and Colorado State University. Proctor served in the US Navy during the Vietnam War era as a sonar man aboard the Navy Destroyer Escort, USS Garcia. Upon returning to Colorado he worked as a landscape architect designing and completing residential and commercial landscape projects. Over the last decade, Proctor spent his time as an artist painting landscape and character subjects in oil and other media. He is survived by his brother Edward, and his wife Meg of Denver and their three children and families.