Samuel Lynn Nichols

Samuel Lynn Nichols was born August 23, 1931 to Samuel Charles Nichols and Genevieve Barker Nichols in Draper, Utah. He passed away quietly at home on November 5, 2025 in the 94^th year of a long, healthy, and active life filled with many adventures and experiences.

Known as Lynn growing up in Idaho Falls, this young man had a tremendous high school boxing career as an Idaho Falls High School Tiger that lead to a scholarship at the University of Idaho. His continued success in the ring as well as in the classroom resulted in many accolades as well as a Golden Glove during the 1950s.

Lynn joined the Army ROTC program at the University of Idaho to gain additional financial aid. He graduated with a bachelor’s degree in education and with the rank of 2^nd Lieutenant in the Army.

Lynn married his high school sweetheart, Sharon Lynn Wright in August of 1954, taught one year of high school math and physical education in Rupert, Idaho, and then was deployed to Korea as part of the post-occupational forces following the Korean War. Lynn became Sam as a result of the first birth name rule applied in the military, and was trained as an elite Army Ranger at Fort Benning, Georgia. Once in Korea, Sam was attached to a unit for two years doing covert missions back and forth across the Korean Demilitarized Zone (DMZ).

Sam was honorably discharged from the Army in 1957. He returned home to his wife in Salt Lake City, Utah where she had been living with her parents. It was here that Sam accepted a teaching position at Valley Junior High School in Magna, Utah, and then a few years later transferred to Cyprus High School where he spent 35 years teaching, counseling, and coaching students.

For a duration of 35 plus years, many times and in many places in and out of the state of Utah, past students would see “Coach Nichols”, “Mr. Nichols”, or just “Sam”. These individuals always greeted him with a broad smile, and left with a broad smile. They entered the countenance of a great man and they left happy to have shared a brief moment in his countenance. That speaks volumes on many levels as to the influence of our husband, father, and “Pa.”

For several decades, Sam was also the director of the night school program at Cyprus High School encouraging and counseling those individuals who had dropped out of high school only to realize that they truly did need that GED certificate.

Sam was an active member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints holding many positions. Many young men have felt his influence participating in the scouting and Young Men’s programs.

Sam had an aptitude for building and fixing things. He was never too busy to help a neighbor, or even a complete stranger with a leaky faucet, a faulty furnace, a flat tire, a lawn mower that won’t start, or a roof that leaked. Even a ride to the nearest gas station for the person stranded on the side of the road with an empty tank! It was easy, with his name what is was, to be called “Good Neighbor Sam.”

Sam was an excellent athlete for all his life. He was a fantastic skier, a scratch golfer, and an artisan woodworker. He enjoyed anything that involved his family.

He is survived by Sharon Nichols, his wife of 71 years, his sons Bryan (Tracy), and Jeff (Jane), and seven grandsons. His youngest son Steven precedes him in death as does his grandson Jeffrey ‘Garrett’.

Sam was a modest and humble man deeply devoted to his family. As a member of the Greatest Generation, he sacrificed much and gave much. He worked hard to achieve the American Dream for which his family realizes and greatly appreciates.

A viewing will be held Friday, November 14^th, 2025, from 6:00 to 8:00pm at the North Holladay Stake Center, 4395 South Albright Drive, Holladay, UT 84124. Funeral services will be the following day, Saturday November 15^th, 2025, at10:30am at the same Stake Center with a viewing beginning at 9:00am. Interment will follow at the Ben Lomond Cemetery in North Ogden, 526 E 2850 N, North Ogden, UT 84414 at around 2pm.

For those unable to attend the service in person, the family invites you to join via Zoom. Please click on the Watch Services button above.