Bob resided at Hyalite Care from June 17, 2024, until he took his last breath on November 17, 2024, about 5:17 P.M. A huge thank you to everyone there who took such good care of him and to the Stillwater Hospice people.
Bob was born in Chicago, IL on January 22, 1935, and grew up in Downers Grove. He graduated in Chemistry from DePauw University, Greencastle, IN in 1956. He attended Virginia Polytechnic (Tech) and graduated with a Master’s in Geology in 1958. VT was separate but equal at that time and Bob became involved in civil rights issues.
He received a Rockefeller Scholarship and attended Union Theological Seminary (UTS) in New York City (NYC) from 1959 until graduating in 1962.
UTS Internships: (9/1960-5/1961) at Presbyterian Center, University of Tennessee, Knoxville when "sit-ins"/civil rights were blooming in the South. East Harlem Protestant Parish (EHPP) NYC 1959; Vermont Parish program of UTS 1960, and Clinical Training at Boston State Hospital 1961. Twice jailed with UTS ministers in Hattiesburg, MS in February of 1964 for demonstrating in support of Negro voter registration (prelude to the summer of Mississippi Burning).
Married to Marcia Boukalik 1961-82, two sons, Andy (spouse: Jody; children: Tony & Annie) & Sam (spouse: Leslie; children: Jonah & Elle).
6/1962-6/63 Case worker for experimental "well baby" program of NYC Dept. of Child Welfare, placing well babies confined to hospitals with mothers on public assistance
9/1963-6/65 East Harlem Protestant Parish (EHPP) Administrator; 9/1965-1/67 "EHPP Minister to community action"; 1/1967-6/70 Community organizer for various EHPP programs
6/1970-6/76 East Harlem Pilot Block Project Administrator (developed Taino Towers 122nd-123rd Streets, between 2nd & 3rd Ave. NYC)
7/1976-6/78 Program Officer C.S. Mott Foundation, Flint, MI. 8/1978-4/80 project staff for programs at New World Foundation and John Hay Whitney Foundation 6/1980-3/82 staff at Ann Arbor Ecology Center
4/1982-1/83 Executive Director, Northern Rockies Action Group, Helena, MT. 1/1983 moved to Bozeman and in with Phyllis.
1/6/1988 married to Phyllis Bock, ASMSU Attorney to students, Montana State University, Bozeman MT
6/1983-5/90 Vice President, Hospital Development Inc. conducted feasibility studies for rural hospitals’ capital campaigns across Upper Midwest/Northern Rockies/Pacific Northwest
5/1990-1/97 Executive Director, Montana Community Shares, a fund-raising consortium of 36 progressive Montana organizations. 1/1997 retired & became involved in various progressive political activities, including protesting and writing letters to the Editor and a few guest columns to the Bozeman Daily Chronicle.
In Bozeman, Bob worked for equal funding for Montana State University Women's basketball program. He served as Vice President of ACLU of Montana. Organized around progressive citizen initiatives, including “Dump the Deal” and “Buy Back the Dams.” 3/2003 was arrested in Helena, MT protesting the Iraq War.
He loved fishing (especially ice fishing), reading (mostly political journals and fiction—“often the same thing”). Loved the Chicago White Sox & MSU Women's basketball. Bob was a runner until 1988. He ran the Detroit & Montana Governor’s Cup Marathons.
Bob’s parents, Majorie & John (Jack) Nichol, died in 1996.
In lieu of flowers, you may donate in his memory to the ACLU of Montana Foundation.
Services to be held June 21, 2025 at Pilgrim Congregational Church, time to be announced.
