Dorothy Catherine Nichols, 86

August 14, 2023

Dorothy Catherine Nichols, 86, of Lititz, PA, passed away on August 14, 2023. She was born on June 3, 1937, in Wabash, Indiana, to the late Clifford and Charlotta (Weber) Hettmansperger. Dorothy was a loving mother and grandmother whose passion was to nurture and care for others. In 2002, she moved in with her daughter Kay to help with the children and household, and she fell in love with Lititz.

Dorothy enjoyed numerous vacations to the shore with her family and was rarely spotted without her nails being meticulously manicured in vibrant colors or a cute bracelet on her wrist. She was a woman of many interests and hobbies. Dorothy loved traveling and enjoyed camping in the Great Lakes states, as well as trips to various locations in Florida. She honeymooned in New Orleans and visited the city again in 2018 to enjoy the vibrant music scene. Dorothy enjoyed her annual Las Vegas trip to the casinos with her sisters and trying her luck on the slots at casinos closer to home in Pennsylvania.

She had a genuine joy for live music, particularly blues and jazz, and frequented the Magic Lounge in Chicago to indulge her childhood fascination with magic tricks. She attended many concerts and shows at Ravinia Festival in Chicago, one of her favorite outdoor music venues. Her list of live concerts was impressive and vast, ranging from Elvis to Willie Nelson, and more recently Harry Connick Jr, Gwen Stefani and Lady Gaga. Dorothy had a deep appreciation for live theater and attended many traveling and Broadway productions, including favorites like Phantom, Les Miserables, Cats, and Hamilton. She also enjoyed attending live performances such as Cirque de Soleil shows and standup comedy tours.

In her career, Dorothy worked a variety of jobs, including administration, customer support, and human resources. She took a pause in the middle of her career to raise her daughters but continued to enhance her skills by attending adult education courses to learn computer skills. Dorothy was an early adopter of computerization in the workplace.

Dorothy is survived by her daughters, Kay Nichols-Wolfe in Lititz and Dani Nichols in Chicago; her son-in-law, Peter Wolfe Jr.; her daughter-in-law, Robin DeLaPena; her grandchildren, Kyle (Kaitie) Wolfe, Connor Wolfe, and Kelsey Wolfe; and one great-grandson. She is also survived by her brother, Tom (Judy) Hettmansperger, of Lexington, KY. She is also survived by her former husband Bill Nichols and his partner Judy Mohler. Dorothy was preceded in death by her parents; her sisters, Peg (Curt) Carpenter and Jane (Ken) Hahn; and her brother, Jim (Betty) Hettmansperger.

Dorothy attended St. Bernard Catholic School for her primary education and graduated from Wabash High School in the class of 1955. She loved attending her class reunions.

Per Dorothy’s wishes, no funeral or memorial services are planned, as she felt life is best spent enjoying it with others and having a good time. Instead, she would love it if you would raise a glass and share a fun story about her. In lieu of flowers, contributions can be made in Dorothy’s memory to the Susan G Komen Breast Cancer Foundation (www.komen.org) or the Lancaster SPCA (Society for Prevention of Cruelty to Animals) (pspca.org/donate).