Judge John Richard Nichols

Born and raised in Halifax, Nova Scotia, Judge Nichols was the son of Professor E.W. Nichols and Dr. Roberta Bond Nichols. He was originally schooled at Tower Road and Queen Elizabeth high schools, and finished his senior year at Riverdale Country School in New York City.

Judge Nichols completed an undergraduate Arts degree at Dalhousie University, and graduated from Dalhousie's law school in 1957. That same year, he was accepted to the Nova Scotia Bar and shortly after he established a successful law practice in Digby, Nova Scotia, where he remained until his appointment to the Bench in 1972.

Throughout his legal career, clients, lawyers, court sheriffs, and Judge Nichols' peers praised him for his fairness, consistency, and the ability to do it all with a special comedic style.

Prior to his appointment to the Bench, Judge Nichols was very active in his community. He served as President, Vice President, and Secretary of the Digby County Liberal Association; he was President of the Digby Board of Trade; President of the Nova Scotia Lung Association; an Executive member of the Canadian Lung Association; President of the Digby Branch of the Victorian Order of Nurses; Executive member and Secretary of the Nova Scotia Provincial Judges Association; Secretary of the Western Counties Barristers Association; President of the Navy League of Canada; Treasurer of the Hillgrove-Digby Flying Club; President of the Admiral Digby Library and Historical Society; a member of the Town of Digby Planning and Advisory committee; and a member of the Digby Area Learning Association (DALA). He was a founding President of the Admiral Digby Museum; he was active in the Digby Swimming Association; and he was responsible for getting the Royal Western Nova Scotian Yacht Club its Royal Charter. He was also a member and Past President of the Friends of Crescent Beach and Area Association on the South Shore of Nova Scotia.

Judge Nichols is survived by his wife of 59 years, Kathleen, his adult sons, Michael and Cluny, and adult daughter, Allison, as well as his sister, Margaret, and grandchildren Aidan, Maximus and Corrigan. On behalf of the entire Nova Scotia Judiciary, our thoughts are with all who knew and loved Judge Nichols.