Kenneth Lee Nichols

Kenneth Lee Nichols passed away Thursday October 1, 2026 in Chandler, Arizona at the age of 90. He was born on August 25, 1936 in West Virginia, the first of four brothers. As the oldest, Ken was a helper to his beloved mother and enjoyed his role as big brother to Hugh, Roger and Richard. In high school, he played basketball, had a role in the school play and loved cars. Upon graduation he moved to Akron, Ohio and found work at a gas station and at Firestone and shortly thereafter joined the Marine Corps., where he was a Lance Corporal for 8 years. Ken eventually met his wife Katie in Akron in 1965 and they moved to Phoenix, Arizona to begin life together. He obtained his amateur radio license and participated in the Military Affiliate Radio System, Air Force MARS Station. He prided himself on this effort to help the soldiers in Vietnam make calls to their families during the war.

Over the years, Ken worked in various jobs in sales and marketing and as their family grew he discovered that he had a talent for building homes. A skill he learned on the fly and each time he built a better house; one for his oldest daughter Michelle and three years later another for Melissa. For the third house, he discovered an available lot on the top of a mountain in Paradise Valley and convinced Katie that he could build her a dream home there with a beautiful view of Moon Valley; and even though that seemed out of reach, Ken and Katie made it happen.

Once that challenge was accomplished, Ken returned to work and took a job as a car salesman for Linda Brock in Scottsdale. A novice at this business, Ken approached the job as a person who loved cars since he was a boy and true to his West Virginia roots, prided himself on being an honest salesman. He enjoyed the opportunity to drive new cars and loved to meet new people and get to know his customers. So naturally, this was a perfect fit for him professionally and he excelled - rising to Fleet Manager at the dealership, he sold cars to celebrities and local politicians, and professional sports stars. He was the first salesman to put his car in what was then known as the Price Club. His early career in marketing led him to understand the need for a brand and his Little Red Wagon slogan was born.

After several years at Linda Brock, he moved to the Earnhardt dealership where his career and skills truly flourished. He built a team of trusted salesmen as the Fleet Director and pioneered early internet sales with the help of his daughter, Michelle. His department was branded with his Little Red Wagon signage everywhere and became the go-to sales guy for Tex Earnhardt. Later, after Katie retired and they moved to the East Valley, Ken slowed down a bit to support Katie as she went through cancer treatment. They purchased an RV and enjoyed travelling to Williams, San Diego and visiting their daughter Melissa in Los Angeles.

After Katie passed in 2018, Ken decided to return to his hobbies and started working on playing the guitar his mom bought him when he was younger. He loved country music and found comfort in that after the loss of his wife. He also became more active with his amateur radio club and made new friends all over the world.

Forever embracing new technology, he stayed connected to his friends and family through Facebook and phone calls and enjoyed going to breakfast every morning. He found the Egg and Joe restaurant where he quickly became a regular going there every morning. He made friends with the staff and other regulars who quickly became a part of his family. He looked forward to his breakfast every morning to spend time with his new friends. He naturally fell into auto consulting at this time, as his former customers would call looking for his help or refer others to him. He created his own business cards and happily worked from his armchair until 2025.

In the last year, Ken moved to assisted living and made many more friends and entertained everyone there with his love of country music and stories about his life building houses and meeting Elvis Presley.

Ken's life was a lesson in dedication to hard work and service to family and friends. He prided himself on being a veteran and his legacy as Marine.

Ken leaves behind a family who will carry that legacy with them. He is survived by his daughters, Michelle Nichols and Melissa Nichols who remember his as a loving father who was there to help with anything.

He is also survived by his brother, Hugh Nichols and sister-in-law JoAnn Nichols along with extended family and friends who will remember him and the place he held in their lives.

Ken was preceded in death by his parents, Roland and Icie Nichols and his brothers, Roger Nichols and Richard Nichols.

From his early years in West Virginia and Ohio to his sales career and life in Arizona, Ken touched many lives along the way. His legacy was built on decades of knowledge and dedication, but perhaps more importantly, he leaves behind the friendships, family memories, and good times that made his life uniquely his own.

He will be deeply missed by his family, friends, colleagues, and all those who had the privilege of knowing him.

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