stablishing and incorporating two professional scientific organizations. He worked with special coagulation laboratory professionals to establish the North American Specialized Coagulation Laboratories Association (NASCOLA) to improve the quality of coagulation laboratory testing and create a network of education and learning. Bill served as NASCOLA president as well as undertaking several other offices and committee assignments. His latest endeavor is the External Quality Assurance in Thrombosis and Hemostasis (EQATH) organization whose mission it is to assess existing external quality assessment programs and enhance communication among the different programs. Bill served as the inaugural secretary/treasurer and worked again with colleagues to create the organizational framework. Bill was the son of Emma Nichols (Knott) and William Lawrence Nichols, Sr. In his younger years he was a newspaper carrier, motorcycle rider, and coronet player. He loved eclectic music and held a particular fondness for NPR's Prairie Home Companion, tuning in weekly. In later years he enjoyed entertaining friends with a sunset pontoon cruise at the family cabin on Balsam Lake. Bill was the patriarch of a large, close family. He is survived by his wife Sharon Nichols, daughter Susan Phillips (Joe), son Douglas Nichols (Patti), granddaughters Emma Phillips, Reed Phillips (Drew Martin), Mary Nichols, and Margaret Nichols, sister Linda Sharpe, sister-in-law Ann Lerner (Moore) (Skip Drinkard), brother-in-law James Moore, and many nephews and nieces. A celebration of Bill's life will be held Saturday, September 17th at Ranfranz and Vine, 5421 Royal Place NW, Rochester, MN at 4 p.m., preceded by a gathering at 2:30 p.m. Service will be livestreamed on Ranfranz and Vine Funeral Homes Facebook page. In lieu of flowers, the family suggests donations to the American Society of Hematology Foundation, an organization focused on philanthropic investment in sustaining the future of hematology as a vibrant, flourishing career path in both academia and clinical practice. The ultimate beneficiaries of gifts to the ASH Foundation are patients battling blood diseases. Ranfranz and Vine Funeral Home is honored to be serving the Nichols family; to share a special memory or condolence please visit www.ranfranzandvinefh.com