Jay Nichols Obituary

Nichols, Jay Thompson 80, died peacefully April 7, 2002, a memorial service will be held May 29, 2002 at 4 p.m. at Winnetka Community House, 620 Lincoln, Winnetka. A longtime Wilmette and Evanston resident, he grew up in Hyde Park, earning a B.S. at the University of Chicago (1942) and joining the Psi Upsilon fraternity. He served in the U.S. Marine Corps. in the South Pacific in WWII. At Armour Research (1947-53) he led a research team measuring the effects of nuclear blasts in New Mexico and Eniwetok Atoll, and was part of another team recognized by the New York Museum of Modern Art for modern furniture design in '50. In '59 he founded the Control Methods Corp. in Rhinebeck, NY and was elected to the Bd. of Ed. there. He sold CMC in '66 to return to Chicago where he started Jay Nichols Corp. which he ran until '94. He was a precinct captain in the Democratic Org. of New Trier Township. The son of Barbara and Edwin G. Nichols, who was financial editor at the Chicago Daily News and columnist at the Chicago Tribune, Jay is the beloved father of Jay T. Nichols II, Elizabeth Owens Nichols and Fayette Aurelia Nichols and brother of E. Scott Nichols. In lieu of flowers, donations may be sent in his name to Folger Shakespeare Library, 201 E. Capitol St. SE, Washington, D.C., 20003. Visit our Guest Book at suntimes.com