Randal "Randy" Nichols

Randal L. Nichols, known to friends as "Squeak," lost a hard-fought battle with pancreatic cancer on Thursday, February 8, 2018 at the age of 55. Randy was born on August 10, 1962 to Earl D. and Sherril V. (French) Nichols in Nevada, Iowa. He was the youngest of four children. Randy will be lovingly remembered by his wife Amy J. Shane-Nichols; their children Mindy J. Miller (Ryan), Joseph D. Nichols (Kari), and Margaret C. Burnette (Kenneth); and their grandchildren Kaiden, Brox, and Timber. He will also be remembered by his mother Sherril V. Nichols; his brothers and sisters Kenneth E. Nichols (Diane), David F. Nichols (Deb), and Kathern M. Lancaster (Jim) along with 6 nieces and nephews, 4 great nieces and nephews, and extended family and friends. Randy was preceded in death by his father Earl D. Nichols, his paternal grandparents Oscar D. and Ethel M. (Cheville) Nichols, and his maternal grandparents Kenneth L. and Esther V. (Apple) French. Randy has spent most of his life in the Ames, Iowa area. He attended both Colo and Ames High School prior to joining the work force. Over the course of his career, Randy worked in many places, each for several years. As a ...[more]

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nager, he worked for Adam's Cycles in the service department where he was responsible for assembling and detailing motorcycles. Randy went on to work for Country Landscapes doing commercial and residential landscaping. He then joined TECO, an underground cable company. His work can be found across Ames and central Iowa. Randy was proud to have spent the last 26 years working as a heavy equipment operator. He started at Martin Marietta (Ames) in 1991. During his time there, Randy was responsible for several tasks both in-mine and above ground. In the mine he worked primarily with explosives and various pieces of specialized heavy equipment. Outside of the mine, Randy operated the plant, loaders, and haul trucks. Later, Randy transferred to the Marshalltown sand plant where he operated a dredge. Throughout his time working at the sand plant, Randy acquired quite the collection of dinosaur bones and fossils. After 22 years of service, Randy departed Martin Marietta and found work at Con-Struct. Randy worked at Con-Struct as a heavy equipment operator until his diagnosis in mid-2017. Randy was a very likeable person and could strike up a conversation with almost anyone. Throughout his life Randy formed many life-long friendships many of which were as strong as family bonds. He had many brothers that were not brothers through blood. He was extremely loyal and loved his friends beyond words. Randy enjoyed spending time with his friends which usually meant riding at full throttle and living life to its fullest; which of course always lead to great stories. Anyone that knew Randy knows that there was one thing he loved as much as his family and his friends: Motorcycles. Riding, building, and working on bikes were a way of life for him. He started riding at age 8 and continued to ride for his entire life. In addition to everyday riding, Randy rode to Sturgis (South Dakota) every year between 1998-2005 and again in 2012. In 2010 he rode the "Tail of the Dragon" - a road with 318 curves located in the Smokey Mountains near North Carolina's Blue Ridge Parkway. He also rode from Arizona to Mexico in the winter of 2015. Randy not only rode, but he also built several motorcycles over the course of his life including one very special bike built for his wife, Amy. Randy spent many hours working on motorcycles, building or troubleshooting mechanical issues. He was always there to help his friends work on their bikes, too. Randy passed his love for motorcycles on to many people including his children. If Randy wasn't at work, riding his motorcycle, or working on a bike, he also loved the outdoors. Randy enjoyed mushroom hunting, camping, and fishing. He also enjoyed kayaking and canoeing as well. His love for the outdoors and experiencing new things lead him on many adventures. Randy travelled all over the United States (including Hawaii), Canada, Mexico, and the warm waters of the Caribbean (Bahamas, Grand Cayman, Belize, and Honduras). Randy will forever be remembered for his contagious smile, his "bigger than life" personality, his strong love for his family and friends, and his kind heart. To celebrate the life that Randy shared with each of us, the family invites you to visitation and funeral services as follows: Visitation will be held from 5:00 - 8:00 p.m. at United Methodist Church of Colo, Iowa on Friday, February 16, 2018. The funeral service in memory of Randy will be held at United Methodist Church of Colo, Iowa on Saturday, February 17, 2018 at 10:30 a.m. Burial in the Colo Cemetery and a luncheon at the United Methodist Church will immediately follow the funeral services. A celebration of life will be held at The Alibi bar in Collins, Iowa on Saturday, February 17, 2018 beginning at 5:00 p.m.