Richard Nicholas, endearingly known as "Pops", passed away peacefully and comfortably at home in the presence of his family on Wednesday, July 24, 2024. He was 91.

Son of the late George and Pota (Alexandro) Nicholas, he was born in Brooklyn, NY on June 27, 1933. When he was 12, his family was broken apart when two of his brothers were killed during World War II, leaving a hole in Richard's heart. The first time he ever felt relief from that trauma was many years later when he drove from Brooklyn to Lake George, NY, where he could finally breathe.

On July 7, 1957, he married Lucille Cararo. In 1964, the couple moved to Wappingers Falls, NY where they decided to raise their family of six children. Their home was easily identifiable, as it was the only house that had Christmas tree lights up all year round. During this time, "Dick" worked as an engineer for IBM and PepsiCo. In 2001, he and Lucille relocated to Lake George, a place they called home for 18 years. They returned to the Hudson Valley in 2019 and moved into a residence in their daughter's house in Wappingers Falls, where he was happy to spend his final years surrounded by family.

Pops enjoyed countless hobbies. As an avid outdoorsman, he loved being surrounded by nature; whether it was spending time at Lake George, exploring and camping the lake's many islands, or most notably when he became member #515 of the Adirondack Forty-Sixers, an organization which recognizes those who have climbed all 46 high peaks of the Adirondack mountains. His other hobbies included writing, spirituality & meditation, listening to music, and sharing life lessons with countless individuals.

Pops was known to all for his longtime endeavor as a professional Santa Claus (The Dutchess Mall, Sagamore Resort, Adirondack Scenic Railroad, and Santa's Workshop in Wilmington, NY). As someone who naturally embodied the holiday spirit, the role came with little effort on "Santa Nicks" part. Along with his wife Lucille portraying Mrs. Claus, the couple found great reward in bringing joy to children and adults alike.

Survivors include his wife, Lucille Nicholas, at home in Wappingers Falls; his son, Michael Nicholas & his wife Marie of Cookstown, NJ; his son, Joseph Nicholas of Wappingers Falls, NY; his son, Richard Nicholas, Jr. & his wife Kimberly of Houston, DE; his son, Peter Nicholas & his wife MaryAnn of Greenfield Center, NY; his daughter, Christine Nicholas & her partner Martin Scheiber of Wappingers Falls; his daughter, Patricia Atkinson & her husband Trent of Wappingers Falls; his grandchildren: Michael Nicholas II, Benjamin Nicholas & his fiancé Pam Perwien, Nicole Chavez & her husband Cesar, Joshua Nicholas & his wife Heather, Heather Nicholas & her fiancé Daniel, Amy Nicholas, Harper Atkinson, Marylin Dooley, Hudson Atkinson, and Helena Dooley; his great-grandchildren, Alessandro Chavez, Sebastian Chavez, Jacqueleen Chavez, Salvador Chavez, and Brexton King; as well as many other loving relatives & friends.

Richard was predeceased by his parents as well as his brothers Peter, Michael, Nicholas (yes, his name was really Nicholas Nicholas), and Adam; as well as an infant sister, Tessie.

Richard would have enjoyed the heartfelt and humorous sentiments sent to the family upon his passing that include: "91 is an incredible amount of years to experience life, especially shirtless", or "I will miss talking about past lives with him or how he would leave ice cream in the fridge to make milkshakes", and "he taught me about meditation, hiking, nutrition, composting, splinter removal, Chicky-Chicky, the benefits of VCR tape organization, the value of laughter, and how to expand the love in the world by accepting everyone as they are." Amen!

A memorial celebration of life will be announced at a later date. Arrangements are under the direction of McHoul Funeral Home of Fishkill, Inc., 1089 Main Street, Fishkill, NY.

For online tributes, you can visit Richard's Book of Memories at www.mchoulfuneralhome.com.