My only son, John Earl Nichols Jr. (DOB 10/10/1993), passed in a one-vehicle accident Nov. 17, 2018.  The Arizona Dept. of Public Safety has been unable to determine a reason why his car ran off I-10, in front of Tempe Stadium and collided with a tree.  He was 10 min. from my parents house and in a hurry to say goodbye to my 95-yr.-old father, Retired USAF Major Fitzhugh L. Whitfield.  He learned of my father's passing while enroute; they both passed within an hour of each other.  I was worried about John driving his older Acura down to the Phoenix Area that day and he told me, "You know how I am Mom.  I have a gut feeling something bad is going to happen."  I thought he was referring to my father passing.  Little did I know he was referring to his own death.

It's sad to lose your father, but my Dad lived a long and good life.  To lose your only child at 25 is a mother's worst nightmare.  John was a rambunctious, boisterous and challenging child to raise as a single mom, but he was everything to me.  I still can't believe he's not here and I will never talk, hug or kiss him again.  All I know is he's with my Dad and all of his relatives who passed onto a better place before him, watching over me.

Since John's passing, so many of his and my friends have reached out to me to express their condolences, sorrow and disbelief that he's gone.  I am dumbfounded by the amount of people who's lives he touched during his short stay on this earth.  My son had the best disposition and comedic personality of anyone I knew.  That was his gift to the world:  Brightening up any room he walked into and putting a smile on every face he encountered.  He was definitely a shining star and is now my #SpiritInTheSky.

Two services are planned for John due to his amazingly large circle of friends:  One in Mesa, AZ, 12 noon, Saturday, Dec. 1, 2018, St. Matthews Methodist Church.  A second service is scheduled in Prescott, AZ, 3 p.m., Saturday, Dec. 8, 2018, Heights Church.  John was born in San Francisco, CA, and raised in Marin County, CA; it's impractical to have another service there, where he also has many friends who are devastated by his loss.

John's passing was unexpected; two deaths in my family within an hour has created an additional financial hardship for me to endure since I’m currently unemployed and don’t live where both he and my father passed. 

If you knew John (his family members) or ever had an opportunity to encounter his SHINING LIGHT personality, any donation is greatly appreciated to help cover funeral/cremation, celebration of life and incidental expenses associated with his loss.  

With Sincere Thanks, Appreciation and Love,

Julia W. Nichols
(John's Mom)

#SpiritInTheSky