John Nicholas

At his request, no service will be held.

John was a quiet, kind and patient man who loved his family and was much loved in return. There are no words to describe how sadly he will be missed by his wife and children.

He was born December 13, 1929 in Little Downham, England, to Ernest and Ada (nee Cook) Nicholas.

He is survived by his wife Hazel, to whom he was married for 70 years, his daughter Lesley, his son Tim, two grandchildren Christopher and Jolene, and numerous nieces and nephews in England. He was predeceased by his mother and father, two brothers and a sister.

After leaving school John lived and worked in Cambridge, England, where he met and married Hazel. He joined the R.A.F. in 1951 where he trained as a radio operator and was then stationed in Hong Kong, where he and Hazel and their baby daughter spent 2 years.

After leaving the R.A.F. they returned to Cambridge, where John worked as an Electronics Tehnician at the University of Cambridge, and then at Metals Research Company until 1964, when they immigrated to Canada. They lived in Calgary where John worked for Honeywell until 1970, at which time they decided to move to the West Coast. He worked for Bingham for a brief time but ultimately John went into business for himself and formed his company, VibraAnalysis. They moved to Gabriola Island in 1989 where he continued to run his business along with his son Tim. John eventually fully retired, but VibraAnalysis continues to thrive under Tim’s direction.

John loved to tinker with technology and anything electronic, and it was here on Gabriola that he developed “The Wellwatcher”. He received several newspaper and magazine write ups about his device, which provided a simple but reliable way of measuring well water levels, and to this day on Gabriola there are many of them still working effectively years after installation.

He enjoyed spending time with his family, playing cards, and many happy hours on his computer. He also loved to poke around at flea markets and garage sales, where he always managed to find something that needed a new home. He loved his life on Gabriola Island as well as the people, and the family will forever be grateful for all the help and support received on Gabriola.

“Anyone can be a father, but it takes someone special to be a dad”