James W. "Jim" Nicol's Obituary
James W. “Jim” Nicol, 89, of Decatur, died Thursday, November 11, 2010 in Decatur Memorial Hospital.
Jim was born February 25, 1921, in Assumption, the son of Robert R. and Sarah May Hoy Nicol. Jim served 4 years in the Coast Guard during WWII on various assignments in Florida, Baltimore and New York including K-9 coastal base defense. He worked for the Wabash Railroad, the Norfolk & Western Railroad and retired from Caterpillar after 23 years in 1976. He was a charter member of American Legion Post 2008 Forsyth and VFW. He was a member of Grace United Methodist Church.
During his lifetime his greatest passion was fast pitch softball. He began pitching at age 13 and continued until age 55. He then was active in various softball roles for the rest of his 76 years in softball. He served as a vice president of the Illinois ASA Softball Hall of Fame and as a national regional commissioner for many years. Jim was instrumental in building the Borg Warner Field Sports Complex and served as the general manager for the Decatur Pride. He was the driving force in the creation of the ADM Softball team and was the team general manager. Jim’s national reputation brought top ranked teams from all over the country to play before avid Decatur fans. Due to his personal efforts and enthusiasm over the years, Decatur has had and continues to have world class softball fields that host nationally recognized men’s fastpitch softball teams: Borg Warner, Hays, and Chaps. He was proud of all of his “Field of Dreams”.
During his long career, Jim deserved and received many awards and honors for his dedication and leadership of men’s fastpitch softball. Some of his most cherished recognitions were: 1979 honored with admittance to the ASA Illinois Hall of Fame; 1997 selected to the Decatur Athletic Council Hall of Fame; 2009 honored with the presentation of a 75 years of service to Illinois Fastpitch Softball award by the Illinois ASA. He was a member of many state, national and world championship teams with rings to match. His only remaining goal was the nomination and selection into the ASA National Softball Hall of Fame in Oklahoma City.
He married Betty Lou Potts on June 20, 1940, in St. Charles, MO. They first met on Armistice Day Veterans Day exactly 73 years before his passing. Jim and Betty celebrated their 70th wedding anniversary this past June with family and friends.
Surviving is his wife, Betty of Decatur; children: James M. Judith Nicol of Newhall, CA, Robert E. Donna Nicol of Argenta, Jody L. Michael Butler and Scott T. Jill Nicol of Decatur; 14 grandchildren, 12 great grandchildren and 1 great-great granddaughter; brother, Glenn Nicol of NC.
Jim was preceded in death by his parents and granddaughter, Emily Grace.
Visitation will be Sunday, November 12, 2010, from 2 to 5 p.m. in the Moran & Goebel Funeral Home. Funeral service celebrating Jim’s life will be 11 a.m., Monday, November 15, 2010, in the funeral home chapel. Interment will follow in Boiling Springs Cemetery. The family request that in lieu of flowers memorial gifts may be given to the James W. Nicol ASA Softball Illinois Hall Of Fame Memorial Fund c/o Caterpiller Earthmover Credit Union.
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