Leonard Nicholus

Leonard Nicholus died peacefully on January 12, 2021 after a battle with cancer.

Beloved husband of Carole Nicholus (nee Redini) for 56 years; dear son of the late Wanda Leisner (nee Jablonski) and Raymond Nicholus; brother of Raymond and Richard Nicholus and the late Allen Leisner; loving father of Chris Nicholus (Steven Broczko) and Mike Nicholus.

Cherished grandfather (Papa Len) of humans Julia, Noah, and Ryan and furry grandchildren Blue, Lucy, Milo and Leopold.

Leonard, or Lenny as some knew him, grew up on the north side of Chicago.  He began working for the People's Gas company in 1964 and spent over 30 years there before retiring in 1996.

Len and Carole met while attending Wright Junior College in 1961.  Their common friend Bob Anderson introduced the two when he suggested that they meet on the tennis court and play a doubles match.  Len and Carole began dating shortly thereafter.  Their first date was at Wrigley Field to watch the Chicago Cubs (in box seats – not the bleachers - which Carole interpreted as an indication of the seriousness of Leonard's intentions).  She was, naturally, correct.  Married in August, 1964, they lived in Chicago in the Austin neighborhood in a $70-per-month apartment, before eventually moving to River Grove where they raised their two children.

Leonard was an accomplished horseshoe player and gardener of tomatoes.  He generally enjoyed most activities that allowed him to be outside working on his tan.  Above all, however, he was an avid golfer.  He golfed at courses all around Chicago, and across the country after his retirement, with his friends from the gas company and his many cousins.

A die hard Cubs fan, Len was delighted to see his team win the World Series in 2016, often attributing the much-celebrated win to the heavenly influence of his favorite Cub, Ron Santo.  Though Len enjoyed all animals, he dearly loved the two cats that he and Carole adopted, Simon and Nipper.

In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to St Jude Children's hospital, Loyola University Medical Center Foundation, or the Wounded Warrior Project.  Visitation services will be held Friday at Sax-Tiedemann Funeral Home Friday January 15 th from 3-7pm.  Mass will be held at St Cyprian Catholic Church in River Grove on Saturday January 16 th at 1pm.