NOVEMBER 24, 1925 – JULY 20, 2024
Leonard Etheridge Nicholls of Cambridge, in his 99th year, passed away on the evening of July 20 after a short illness.
He was predeceased by his parents, Fred and Mabel (Glanzer), brother George, his first wife Diana (White) and various aunts, uncles and cousins. Len is survived by Carol (Dobbs), his beloved wife of 53 years; children Gary (Cheryl), Sandi (Don), Susan (Rene) and Linda (Graham), grandchildren Nick (Audrey), Carolyn (Ryan), Hannah (Kyle), Max, Chloe (Derek), Joey, Daniel (Camila), Geoff and Serena and seven great-grandchildren that brightened his days.
Len or ‘Nick’ as many of his friends knew him, was born on November 24, 1925 in London, England. He spent his childhood in Peru and in the UK, and immigrated to Canada in 1951, with Diana. They settled in Pierrefonds, Quebec and had three children, Gary, Sandi and Susie. After Diana’s death in 1968, Len moved to Cambridge (Galt) with his children and there he met Carol. They were married in 1971 and Len adopted Carol’s daughter Linda in the same year. Len spent the remainder of his life in Cambridge. He was an active member of First United Church, in the Men’s Club, Friendship Club and as a member of the Board. In later years his health prevented him from attending Cedar Hill United Church but his faith remained quite strong and he never forgot to say his prayers at night.
During WW2, Len was a Flight Navigator with the RAF in a photographic reconnaissance unit. In his 17th mission his plane was shot down over The Netherlands. He walked across Holland into Belgium and was able to link up with the Resistance to get to safety in Gibraltar, a perilous journey that included trekking over the Pyrenees mountains.
After the war, Len trained as a mechanical engineer and after moving to Canada spent his career working for several companies including Dominion Bridge in Montreal and then Dresser and Koehring in Cambridge and Brantford, respectively.
Len was an avid hobbyist, and devoted much of his time in retirement to woodworking, model railroading and stamp collecting. He was a member of the David Durward Woodworking Shop, Cambridge and Waterloo Stamp Clubs and Probus Cambridge. Len was an avid and long-term member of the Cambridge Model Railroad Club; his grandchildren remember the giant model train layout in the basement of the house on Park Ave. Over the years, all his children and grandchildren have been gifted with his woodworking projects.
The family would like to thank all of the friends who, over the past several years, have driven Len to various appointments and stamp club, model railway club and Probus meetings. We would also like to thank all of the health professionals and friends who assisted Len and family over recent months.
Arrangements have been entrusted to Coutts and cremation has taken place. A service to celebrate Len’s life will be held on August 1 at Coutts Funeral Home, 96 St. Andrews St., Cambridge, with visitation at 10 am and a service at 11 am. A private family interment will follow the reception. As expressions of sympathy, donations can be made to The Bridges or the Cambridge Food Bank.
