John Edward Nicholson lll
OBITUARY
John Edward Nicholson passed away on July 28, 2026 at the age of 78. Many people knew him as Nick Nicholson (his nickname from the military).
John was born on May 3, 1948 to John and Martha Nicholson in Springfield, Illinois. The family moved to San Diego around 1952 after John senior started a job at Convair. They subsequently moved several times, including to Lancaster California, Lincoln Nebraska, and later to Santa Maria (where John graduated high school in San Luis Obispo and junior college in Santa Maria), eventually making their way back to San Diego.
John joined the Navy in 1968 as a naval aviator and was stationed in locations such as Japan and the Philippines. He left active duty in 1971 and joined the Naval Air Reserve. He went to flight engineer school in 1976, becoming part of the crew for P3 Orions. From 1971 to 2004, he worked at the Naval Aviation Depot at North Island Coronado in Quality Assurance. After retiring from the military, John started working in the Miramar College Diesel Program around 2007.
John was an avid biker and a long-term member of the local Knickerbiker club. He even led a bike tour one summer through southern Ireland for the Knickerbikers. It was in the bike club where he met his wife, Rhonwyn Curtis-Nicholson. They were married at Wilson Creek Winery in Temecula on July 21, 2002.
John loved western cowboy action shooting and was an active member of SASS (the Single Action Shooting Society). He also greatly enjoyed camping in the mountains and RV travel.
John was in the Irish Congress of Southern California for many years. He volunteered and helped with their annual St. Patrick’s Day Parade near Balboa Park. His home away from home was at the Blarney Stone in Clairemont, where he was a regular every afternoon! He never wanted to miss a good beer with his friends!
John developed advanced Alzheimer’s in his 70s and spent the last phase of his life in long term care. He is survived by his wife Rhonwyn and his brother Richard Nicholson of Laguna Niguel.
A celebration of life gathering will be held in his honor at the Blarney Stone on Saturday, September 12, at 2 pm.