Randal A. Nicklas

COLUMBIA - A celebration of life for Randal A “Randy” Nicklas, 75, will be held at 12:00 p.m. on Friday, May 29th at Dunbar Funeral Home at Devine Street Chapel. Following the service, please join the family for a reception in the foyer. In honor of Randy’s “joie de vivre,” please feel free to wear something colorful or cheerful.

Mr. Nicklas passed away peacefully at home, surrounded by love and family, on May 18, 2026. Born in Huntington, N.Y. on July 6, 1950, he was the son of the late Raymond Arthur and Aldrian Bates Nicklas. He grew up in Ridgefield, CT, and graduated from the University of Maine in Mechanical Engineering. His father was a pilot for United Airlines, and also for the New York Yankees and New York Giants. Randy was an excellent baseball player and grew up learning to pitch from Yogi Berra and being on a first name basis with Mickey Mantle. After college, Randy’s love for adventure and skiing took him to Tahoe for the next five years, where he trained and tried out for the U.S. Olympic ski team.

Mr. Nicklas began his engineering career as plant engineer for TPAC in Sandy Run, SC, and later at Louis Rich Foods in Newberry, SC. Randy’s adventurous spirit took him to Alaska for the next 20 years where he raised his two children and expanded his career as the head engineer for a seafood processing plant that he helped design and build. In 1989, Mr. Nicklas was employed by the State of Alaska Environmental Agency when the Exxon Valdez oil spill occurred, and his department played a key role in overseeing the cleanup efforts. That experience sparked a lifelong interest in sustainable construction and energy-efficient building technologies. He traveled extensively to remote villages, assisting in the construction and energy improvement of homes for Alaska’s indigenous population, where he developed long-time friendships rooted in deep respect.

These experiences ultimately led to his distinguished career as a Senior Engineer with Icynene, Inc., the industry leader in spray foam insulation. Mr. Nicklas finished his career as the Senior Engineer at Huntsman Building Solutions.

Mr. Nicklas traveled extensively throughout North America for over 30 years, delivering countless seminars on building science and high-performance technologies to thousands of architects, engineers, contractors, and code officials. He was involved in more than 20,000 systems-engineered buildings and worked hands-on in all phases of construction, from foundations to roofing, including design, construction, performance evaluation, and testing.

He was a founding member of the U.S. Green Building Council and was actively involved with the International Code Council code hearing process as an ICC-LU and AIA-CES trainer and presenter. He also contributed to the design and construction of the initial American Lung Association Health House and the first U.S. Department of Energy Zero Energy Building in the Pacific Northwest.

As one of the first energy raters in the United States, Randy conducted more than 1,000 blower door tests and home energy ratings, helping advance early standards in residential energy performance.

Mr. Nicklas had a profound appreciation for innovation and the environment, with a special enthusiasm for sustainable building practices and electric vehicles, especially Tesla. He believed deeply in contributing to one’s community and helping others. He was a true jack of all trades who could fix almost anything. A master builder and true outdoorsman, he enjoyed snow skiing, fishing, sports, and spending time in nature whenever he could.

He and his beloved wife, Jan, shared a passion for travel and adventure, exploring national parks, coastal destinations, and memorable trips abroad to Japan, France, Portugal, and Spain. Randy also enjoyed life’s simple pleasures — pizza, sushi, ice-cream, good beer, fine bourbon, and making what many considered the best frozen margaritas around. Together, he and Jan loved opening their home and backyard oasis to friends and family for dinners, gatherings, and pool parties filled with laughter and lasting memories. Randy also enjoyed being the operations engineer and “music man” for the Greater Columbia Junior Cotillion program, where he was beloved by the assistants who worked alongside him.

Randy lived such a passionate and exciting life filled with constant adventures and amazing stories. No matter how big or small, he found joy in every part of living; he was a force to be reconned with and an inspiration to so many.Most of all, Randy loved being a dad and grandpa, and an adoring husband.

Surviving are his wife, Janet Benkwith Cohn; daughter, Alyson Nicklas Arnold (Corey) of White Slamon, WA. son, Palmer Heyward Nicklas (Whitney) of Las Vegas, NV. stepdaughter, Britton Benkwith Cohn of Charlotte, NC; stepson, Richard Harris Cohn Jr. (Brooke) of Columbia, SC; four grandchildren, Wolfgang Randal Arnold, Shiloah Fox Arnold, Richard “Tripp” Harris Cohn III and Caroline Florence Cohn; sister, Alyson Nicklas Duff (John) of Embden, Maine; one niece, one nephew, three great-nieces and one great-nephew; and his beloved goldendoodle, Ginger.

Memories may be shared at www.dunbarfunerals.com.