Julie Carolyn Nickerson

Julie Carolyn Nickerson of Defiance passed away Sunday October 6, 2013 at the Defiance Hospice Center. Born on April 13, 1960 in Lebanon New Hampshire to the late Theodore LaPan and Carolyn Hunt. Julie married Walter Nickerson on December 17, 1997 in Defiance Ohio.

Dearest mother of Justin (Misty Wilson) Carpenter, Brandon (Ina) Retcher. Step mother of Walter Jr. Nickerson, Jennifer Nickerson and Jermaine Nickerson.

Survived by her mother Carolyn and Step father Ken Hunt, sister Rose LaPan-Davidson, Christina Adele Downey, Christopher LaPan and Cynthia LaPan, 9 grandchildren and many nieces and nephews.

Preceded in death by her father Theodore LaPan and son Chad.

Julie had been courageously fighting cancer since 2003.She was a loving person who cared about a lot of people.She was a board member for Vision Quest Institute in Defiance.

She is gone

You can shed tears that she is gone

Or you can smile because she has lived

You can close your eyes and pray that she will come back

Or you can open your eyes and see all that she has left

Your heart can be empty because you can't see her

Or you can be full of the love that you shared

You can turn your back on tomorrow and live yesterday

Or you can be happy for tomorrow because of yesterday

You can remember her and only that she is gone

Or you can cherish her memory and let it live on

You can cry and close your mind, be empty and turn your back

Or you can do what she would want: smile, open your eyes, love and go on.

-David Harkins

A Memorial Service will be held to honor Julie at the Jewell Community Center, 7900 Independence Rd, Defiance, OH on Friday, Oct. 11 from 3:30pm-6:00pm. In lieu of flowers or gifts, donations can be made to Vision Quest Institute at the service, via www.visionquestinstitute.com, or directly to any First Federal Bank. This is a project that was started by Julie, her son, and her daughter-in-law to build a school in Ghana, Africa. Please share a memory of Julie below.