The late William E. Nichols Sr. had his hands, head and heart in all things Williamsport.

“Nichols was dedicated to the Williamsport community,” said his friend and colleague Michael Miller, executive director of the Williamsport Municipal Water and Sanitary Authority.

He and his good friend, Tuck Frazier, teamed up for nearly four decades to lead the Water and Sanitary Authorities for the benefit of the citizens of Williamsport and surrounding regions.

Nichols was the chairman of the Water Authority and served on the Sanitary Authority board, and Frazier was the chairman of the Sanitary Authority and served on the Water Authority board.

“They shared a common vision for the greater good,” Miller said.

Through countless hours of work on behalf of the authorities, Nichols guided the Water Authority through a long period of expansion and improvements that modernized the Water and Sanitary Authorities into reliable and fiscally responsible

infrastructure service providers.

As a tribute to Nichols’ commitment to the Authorities and the communities they serve, the water filtration plant was named in Nichols’ honor in 2017.

His influence will continue to have a lasting impact on the Water and Sanitary Authorities.

Nichols, an attorney, retired from McCormick Law Firm. Nichols was a member of the Lycoming Law Association since 1957.

He was president of the Lycoming Law Association in 1988.

Nichols was honored for his long record of community service and named grand marshal of Williamsport’s 2010 Christmas parade.

Nichols led the parade down a route that went from Center and West Third streets, headed east, then north on Pine Street, then west on West Fourth Street to Center Street.

Although the night was cold, the parade was well attended by local families.

The community has lost such a tremendous asset, said Dana Brigandi of James V. Brown Library.

Nichols was a member of the library Board of Trustees from 1962 until November 2012, when he became a trustee emeritus.

He served as president of the Board of Trustees from 1973 to 1976 and again from 2006 to 2009.

As a trustee, he took a leadership role in raising funds for the Children’s Wing Campaign in the late 2000s and the more recent Bookmobile campaign in 2019.

“He was a loyal supporter of the library and a fierce champion of ensuring the library was a gem in this community,” Brigandi said.

“Nichols was deeply devoted to his community,” said James D. Plankenhorn, president and CEO of STEP Inc.

As the founder of STEP Inc. in 1966, Nichols embodied community action and its mission to positively impact people’s lives through social, independence and self-sufficiency services and programs.

Because of his vision, Nichols was the catalyst for change in Lycoming and Clinton counties, and his legacy will certainly live on as we do our best carry on with his vision and mission for a better community, Plankenhorn said.

“If you ever met Mr. Nichols, you’d know he was a wonderful man, and thought the world of STEP, its mission, its programs and the fantastic staff and volunteers who serve,” Plankenhorn said.

“I’ve enjoyed countless occasions over the last many years spending time with him, learned so much from him, and he was always such a pleasure to be with. We all will miss him greatly,” he said.

Nichols served as the chairman of the Williamsport Foundation, now the First Community Foundation Partnership of Pennsylvania (FCFP), from 1989 to 1991.

“Undoubtedly, it was one of the most critical and monumental times in the Foundation’s history,” said Jennifer D. Wilson, FCFP president and CEO.

Under his leadership, the Foundation transitioned into an independent community foundation which laid the groundwork for what would become a regional organization that currently engages with more than 7,700 donors and grants more than $6 million annually throughout the nonprofit community.

“His service to Williamsport has been extraordinary, but his impact on FCFP and the people it serves expands well beyond Lycoming County,” Wilson said.

Nichols was recently recognized and was given a touching tribute by members of the Williamsport City Council.

Council President Adam Yoder said Nichols was the first Council president under the current form of government the Council today is acting under.

“Going through that process, I am pretty sure it was very arduous,” Yoder said.

“He did a lot of work that I think really set up structure as to how we work,” Yoder said. “A lot of intelligent work.”

Former Council President Randy Allison noted Nichols’ founding of STEP Incorporated and is founding of the Williamsport Symphony.

“These are close to my heart because they touch people,” Allison said.

In one organization it serves the physical and other needs and for the symphony for those who enjoy the arts and fine music.

What Nichols founded “touched the whole spectrum of humanity,” Allison said.

The congregation of Trinity Episcopal Church, where Nichols was active, will miss him.

“While Bill knew we are all sheep of our Shepherd and sinners who need redeeming, he served his parish and community in so many ways,” said the Rev. Cn. Kenneth E. Wagner-Pizza, Rector & Provost, Trinity Pro-Cathedral.

Nichols was a model of a great stewardship of sharing his time, talent and treasure throughout his life.

Through his love of music, he sang in the choir decade after decade including annually being one of the three wise men for Epiphany.

“When I first came, he was taking care of his wife, Pat, after she had taken care of him and the family so that he could be doing so much out in the community,” Wagner-Pizza said.

“When I would visit him, he would always ask about Trinity, and we would talk about the community, his family and what hope he had for the future even with all the challenges that we are presented with in any age,” he said.

“May his soul and the souls of all the departed, through the mercy of God, rest in peace. Amen,” Wagner-Pizza said.