Tom Nichols

Funeral services for Tom Nichols, 90, of Tracy, will be held Wednesday, April 22, 2026, at 10:30
a.m. at the Pierschbacher Funeral Home in Knoxville. Immediately following the service, a
luncheon will be held for a time of visiting and fellowship. Interment will be at Coal Ridge
Cemetery. Family will receive friends on Tuesday, April 21, from 4:00 until 7:00 p.m. at the
funeral home.
In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to the Knoxville Hospital, Coal Ridge Church, and to
the Knoxville friends of 4-H.
Thomas E. Nichols was born December 7, 1935, at home to Robert and Tunnie Onstank Nichols.
He was the youngest of five children, with four older sisters who did their best to keep an eye on
him. Tom attended country school at Coal Ridge, where his sister was his first teacher, and later
graduated from Knoxville High School with the class of 1954.
He enlisted in the United States Army and served in the 82nd Airborne. Tom always got a
chuckle out of telling people he was deathly afraid of heights, yet somehow found himself
jumping out of airplanes.
Tom met the love of his life, Swaney Swanson, at the student nursing dormitory in Knoxville,
and were married on September 14, 1963. Together they raised two children, Cory and Katy, and
built a life filled with laughter, hard work, and a whole lot of fun.
To know Tom was to know his love for cattle. He was a true cattleman through and through,
especially passionate about raising Angus. Tom had a natural gift for understanding livestock and
an eye for selecting genetics that would strengthen his herd. But more than that, Tom loved
sharing what he knew. Whether it was through 4-H or a simple conversation leaning on a fence
post, he took time to teach others, especially young people. In 1995, he was honored as a
National Junior Angus Association Advisor, a recognition that meant a great deal to him. He
believed in hard work, honesty, and doing things the right way, and he passed those values on to
everyone willing to listen.
Tom was a character in the very best sense of the word. Life around him was never dull. He was
quick with a practical joke and just as quick to laugh when the joke came back around on him.
He worked hard, fixing fence, tending cattle, and caring for the farm, but he also knew how to
enjoy life. He made sure his family did too. He taught his kids, and their friends, how to water
ski. And when it came time for him to try, despite not being able to swim, he simply put on a
couple of life jackets, wore his cut-off jeans and cowboy hat, and gave it a go. That was Tom.
He loved to visit. Give him a shade tree and a good friend, and he was content. He would always
choose a conversation over a television, a handshake over a hurry. People mattered to him, and
he made sure they knew it.
Tom passed away suddenly on Saturday, April 18, 2026. He leaves behind a life well lived and a
legacy that will carry on in the lessons he taught and the memories he made.
He is survived by his wife, Swaney; his children, Cory (Suzanne) Nichols of Blanco, Texas, and
Katy (Andre) Simpson of San Leandro, California; his grandsons, Brock and Gage Nichols;
along with many nieces, nephews, relatives, and dear friends.
Tom was preceded in death by his infant son, Ned, in September 1968; his sisters, Bonnie
(Walter) Grunhaupt, Louise (Tuffy) Work, Pat (Edgar) Buttrey, and Joan (Arch) Carson; and his
parents, Robert and Tunnie Nichols.
He will be deeply missed, but never forgotten. His stories, his laughter, and the way he lived his
life will stay with all of us who were lucky enough to know him.