John David Nichols BA, LL.B

John David Nichols BA, LL.B

May 23, 1945-January 9, 2026

John David Nichols, son of the late Jack & Brownie Nichols, passed away peacefully with family by his side, during a brief stay in Peterborough Regional Health Centre. Mourning his loss is John’s spouse of thirty-four years, Mary MacPherson; John’s daughter, Leslie Vissers, son-in-law Mike Vissers, and their children Isaac and Stephen; John’s son, Rob Nichols, daughter-in-law Rachel Nichols, and their children Oliver and Chloe; Nancy & Bill Davies and family; and Don and Cindy MacPherson and family.

John was born in Toronto but raised in Peterborough, where he attended Queen Mary and Westmount public schools, and PCVS high school. A graduate of the University of Toronto’s Victoria College, and U. of T. Law School, he became an exceptional lawyer, having stood second in Ontario when called to the Bar. He practiced corporate and development law for forty-one years, primarily with the Howell Fleming Law Firm in Peterborough, and was appointed Chairperson of the Canada Pension Plan Review Tribunal for the Region of Peterborough. He was a fundraiser extraordinaire, a valued board member for many organizations including Showplace Peterborough and St. Joseph’s at Fleming, and was frequently called upon to tinkle the ivories with his repertoire of popular songs, for many a good cause.

A cottage kid at heart, and a windsurfer, he spent idyllic summers from the time he was a young boy at Mississauga Lake, a tradition he passed on to his children and grandchildren. He was a seasoned traveller, inspired by his first trip, at the age of nine, crossing the Atlantic with his parents on the QE2, and by a high school excursion along Route 66 to a Key Club convention in Los Angeles, California. John enjoyed planning a trip as much as the trip itself, to the delight of family and friends who referred to him as the “travel agent.” He had a knack for knowing just how long to stay in any one place.

John retired from the practice of law in 2012. He continued to be a voracious reader with a life-long interest in politics and history, and a passion for playing tennis and following the pros. He was a long-time member of Peterborough’s Quaker Tennis Club, and in winter, played with a group of pals in Florida. Most of all, John was a kind person and a true gentleman. In keeping with his wishes, cremation and a private family internment at Little Lake Cemetery has taken place. Arrangements entrusted to Highland Park Funeral Centre.