Helen Catherine Nicoll

Our sweet kind Mom, Helen Nicoll, or GMa as her grandchildren referred to her, passed away on Friday, January 21, 2022, at the age of 95. She was preceded in death by her loving husband Gordon (Nick) David Nicoll, her parents, Thomas and Maude (Margaret) Watt, and her beloved brother, Walter (Wally) Watt. Born on July 26, 1926, in Montreal, Canada, Helen met Nick at a regatta at the canoe club when she was 15. When Nick, the only surviving member of his flight crew, returned from a German POW camp at the end of World War II, they were married in Canada. In 1960, they relocated to the US, eventually moving to White Hall, Virginia in 1975. Helen loved the little home they built there, where she lived until shortly after Nick’s death in 2013. They were happily married for 68 years. Even though dementia stole her memory and age took most of her hearing and strength to speak, she still enjoyed a laugh, a kiss, or a hug, which in the end, is what mattered most. She easily made friends with her kind spirit and ready smile and was special to all who knew her. Helen was a great cook with signature dishes like crab soup, lemon or date squares and shortbread. Her classic encouragement for dessert was, “Oh go ahead, take two, they’re small!” Family was everything to her. She staunchly defended all of us, especially her children and grandchildren, no matter how goofy their actions or corny their jokes. She was always in our corner. She will be lovingly remembered by her sons and daughters-in-law, Neil and Carol Nicoll of Charlottesville, VA and Scott and Ruthie Nicoll of Palm Coast, FL; grandchildren, Ian Nicoll and his wife Gaby Miller of Waco, TX, Ross Nicoll and his girlfriend Shannon Tucker, of Charlottesville, Va, Derek Nicoll and Brent Nicoll, of Charlotte, NC, and Regina Nicoll of Toronto, Canada. A private family celebration of life will be held later this year. We would like to thank the staff at Albemarle Health and Rehab, for the years of care and kindness given to her. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the Charlottesville SPCA, where Helen adopted several cats that she loved.