Robert “Bob” Nicholson was born in Great Falls, Montana, to Fred and Lylas Nicholson of Cascade, Montana, on May 19, 1937. He grew up in Cascade along with his three sisters, Betty, Shirley, and Berna.
After graduating from Cascade High School, he attended Montana School of Mines (working in the mines on weekends) and Montana State University in Bozeman and studied geology. He loved mapping trips in the Bridger Mountains.
He met Mary Hallesy on a blind date, and they married in 1960, beginning a partnership that lasted 65 years. Together, they had three children, Sky, Robb, and Casey.
Bob loved hard work and was devoted to helping with environmental causes. He worked for many years at Lewis Construction, installing guardrails and highway signs throughout the state and in Wyoming. He found time for his Cascade community, serving 8 years on the Town Council and 10 years as an EMT, and devoted many hours working on Joe’s Trail.
Bob loved camping, hiking, and cross-country skiing with his children in the Lincoln area. He especially loved watching the grandchildren participating in their sports. Two things you might not know about Bob - he donated one of his kidneys to his sister and he ran a marathon.
Bob is survived by his wife, Mary; his children, Sky (Dan), Robb (Kim), and Casey (Rose); his granddaughter, Cassie Ostle (Nick); and grandsons, Mason and Rogan Nicholson; great-grandchildren, TJ and Madison Ostle; two sisters, Shirley Brurud and Berna (Tom) Koske; plus many nieces and nephews. He was preceded in death by his parents and sister, Betty Day.
No memorial service is planned at this time.
In memory of Bob, donations could be made to his favorite places- Deerborn Garden Club for flowers at Joe’s Trail, P.O. Box 263, Cascade, MT 59421, and MEIC (Montana Environmental Information Center) at P.O. Box 1184, Helena, MT 59624.
To share condolences, click here to visit the Schnider Funeral Home website.
