Willard Nickel retired and moved to Honeoye Falls, New York, about 15 miles from where Bill Nickel and his family lived in Rochester.
Willard T. Nickel
His last
project at AC was heading up the development of the cruise
control.
In January, 1963, he retired.
Willard Nickel, called "Nick" at work and "Pop" by his family, was considered to be something of a character.
He wore a brush cut and a bolo tie. He didn't talk much, but he wasn't afraid to speak up. He had a laconic, quirky kind of humor. He said things in funny ways and had stock phrases he repeated.
He was a collector and an organizer. Jenny and her mother, Bert, had started an antique business while they were living on the farm outsdie of Flint. They kept it up during Willard's transfers to Indianapolis and Rochester. Now, in retirement, Willard joined full time.
In January, 1963, he retired.
Willard Nickel, called "Nick" at work and "Pop" by his family, was considered to be something of a character.
He wore a brush cut and a bolo tie. He didn't talk much, but he wasn't afraid to speak up. He had a laconic, quirky kind of humor. He said things in funny ways and had stock phrases he repeated.
He was a collector and an organizer. Jenny and her mother, Bert, had started an antique business while they were living on the farm outsdie of Flint. They kept it up during Willard's transfers to Indianapolis and Rochester. Now, in retirement, Willard joined full time.
In 1964, Willard and
Jenny moved to Honeoye Falls, New York, 15 miles from his son Bill's
family in Rochester.
They sold some from
a shop in their
home, but mostly traveled to antique shows they knew in Michigan.
Organizing systems for moving their goods around was Willard's forte. Jenny did most of the buying and selling. They were an excellent team and did well in the business.
They kept a hand in the antique business into the 1970s.
Their home was full of wonderful antique furniture.
Organizing systems for moving their goods around was Willard's forte. Jenny did most of the buying and selling. They were an excellent team and did well in the business.
They kept a hand in the antique business into the 1970s.
Their home was full of wonderful antique furniture.
Jenny died in 1978 and Willard was still very energetic and full of life.
He was not interested in living too close to either of his sons, even in a separate apartment. He left Honeoye Falls within a year and moved into a small apartment in Pittsford, closer to Rochester.
At first he took some long road trips to visit long lost relatives, mostly nephews and nieces. Then he hooked up with his first new girl friend since high school. It had all the features of an old gold digger seeing an even older man with a lot of jewelry. It was probably that and more. If she ended up with some of what she wanted, he did too.
He was a smart, funny and inexhaustible man who took on a whole family at the beginning of World War I, when he was in high school. In the end, he was the last one standing and he still had something left.
He held his great-grandson. Went to DisneyWorld with him
When he went, he went the way many people say they would want to go. Massive heart attack. Suddenly and quickly. No one there to fuss.