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Vail Daily obituary: Jeffrey Nicholls, 1941-2012

Special to the Dailyobituaries@vaildaily.comVail, CO Colorado

Longtime local Jeffrey Treneer Nicholls, 70, passed away on Friday at his home in Vail after a long battle with Alzheimer’s disease. He was born on Sept. 2, 1941, in Elkhart, Ind.Jeff graduated from Mercersburg Academy in 1959. In 1963, he graduated from Denison University, where he was an active member of Beta Theta Pi.After graduation, he and his first wife, Judy, mother of his two sons, Craig and Scott, spent a year as “ski bums” in Taos, N.M. He then attended and received an MBA from the Wharton School of Business at the University of Pennsylvania.He spent several years on the traditional business ladder to success. However, his love of the mountains beckoned and compelled him to take his family west in 1970 to cast his future with the new resort of Vail. His first job was as a bellman at the Lodge of Vail. He then started Vail’s first on-mountain photography business, Images Unlimited. After 25 years of photographing on-mountain memories for visitors to Vail, Jeff switched gears and became the owner/operator of Nick’s Quick Oil & Lube in Eagle-Vail.Jeff loved all sports. He was a varsity soccer player in school, an avid skier, tennis and squash player and hiker. When not in the mountains, sailing was his favorite pastime. He was member of the Vail Rotary Club.Jeff is survived by his wife of 29 years, Peggy, sons Craig and Scott, stepdaughter, Alicia (Mark) Pribramsky and their daughters, Elliot and Quincy. Jeff was preceded in death by his first wife, Judy, parents Roberta and Richard, brother Richard and sister Mary Feddersen.The family would like to thank all of his caregivers over the years, but especially James Pettersen, Josh Eaton, Peter Vucich, and Nick Rose, who were with him until the end.A private family service is planned. Jeff will be buried alongside his parents, brother and sister in Cornwall, England.Those who so desire may make memorial donations to Eagle Valley Senior Life, a newly formed nonprofit for seniors in the Vail Valley. P.O. Box 394, Minturn, CO 81645


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