Kathleen "Kathy" Collins Nicol

Kathleen Collins Nicol (Mary Kathleen Collins) known to her friends as “Kathy” born March 17, 1947 in La Cañada, California passed away peacefully at her home in Fort Collins on Saturday, November 18, 2023. An unsung hero of Fort Collins and Larimer County, Kathy had dedicated her life to improving the circumstances of those less fortunate. No stranger to tragedy herself, Kathy’s childhood home burned down along with all of the families’ possessions when she was in elementary school, and her father passed away unexpectedly shortly thereafter when she was only ten. Despite these early hardships, Kathy persevered and built a marvelous life for herself and her family. Kathy raised two amazing children, Zach and Maija Nicol, and is survived by both, along with their partners, Justie Nicol and Esther Cerda, and her grandchildren, Logan (6) and Asher (8). Her husband, John C. Nicol, predeceased her in 2017 after an Alzheimer's battle. Kathy was 76 years young. Kathy enjoyed traveling the world, hiking and skiing in Summit County, playing with her adorable dog, Penny, and spending time with her family and friends. Kathy was fiercely independent. Most who had seen her in recent months did not know that she had been battling cancer. Kathy handled her treatments with dignity and grace and relied on her voluminous local “village” for support. She was forever grateful for the companionship offered by the community and her large group of friends who helped her keep a positive attitude. Kathy moved to Fort Collins after graduating from the University of Colorado in 1969. However, she was clearly born to have an impact on Fort Collins (having Collins in her name after all), and the city has always been her true home. She spent most of her adult life supporting her family’s real estate endeavors in Campus West Shops and running Nicol Realty. Although residential real estate was not something she particularly enjoyed, she remained a commercial real estate broker until her retirement in 2017. Kathy touched many many lives throughout the years. She has held leadership positions in the Rotary Club of Fort Collins, Homeward Alliance, Junior League of Fort Collins, and many others. Kathy has volunteered for many years at the Lincoln Center and the Larimer County Food Bank. Kathy would secretly give money and time to a variety of organizations, and then give credit to others. Kathy has made charitable contributions to the United Way, Poudre Valley Library, and most recently the Poudre Valley Hospital Foundation’s capital campaign. Not only is the ambulance collection on display at PVH a donation from the Nicol Family, but Kathy also made personal and familial contributions with the help of the Community Foundation of Northern Colorado to support the new orthopedic wing coming in the Fall of 2024. Services for Kathy Nicol will be held at 2:00 p.m. December 10, 2023, at the Fort Collins Country Club (1920 Country Club Road, Fort Collins, CO 80524). A short service will be held, followed by a “big party” consistent with Kathy’s wishes. Please come prepared with stories to share and plan to stay to socialize. In keeping with Kathy’s spirit of giving, the family asks that a donation be made to the Rotary Club of Fort Collins charitable fund in lieu of flowers. Donations made until December 5, 2023 will be eligible for matching as part of Colorado Gives Day, and the family encourages anyone so inclined to leverage their donation prior to that date for a greater impact. The link to donate is: https://www.coloradogives.org/story/Rotarylegacy. Please add a dedication “Dedicated to the memory of Kathy Nicol.” All donations are tax-deductible to a 501(c)(3), and funds will be used to support local Community Grants, the committee where Kathy was the most active in giving.