Obit of Nichols, Mary L. Conroy (Mickey) - Oklahoma County, Oklahoma Submitted by: Gene Phillips 24 Nov 2004 Return to Oklahoma County Archives: http://www.rootsweb.com/~usgenweb/ok/oklahoma/oklahoma.html ========================================================================== USGENWEB NOTICE Copyright. All rights reserved. http://www.rootsweb.com/~usgenweb/copyright.htm ========================================================================== Nichols, Mary L. Conroy (Mickey) Mary L. (Mickey) Conroy Nichols, mother of four loving children, loving wife and pioneer music therapist in Oklahoma, passed away on August 6, 2002 after a long battle with Alzheimer's Disease. She was preceded in death by her parents, Joyce Marvin and Inez Conroy of McCurtain, Okla. She was born on April 12, 1936, in McCurtain. She graduated from McCurtain High School in 1954. She received an Associate Degree in Music Education from Eastern Oklahoma State College in 1957 and attended the University of Oklahoma and Oklahoma City University. She received her Bachelor of Science Degree in Music Therapy from the University of Minnesota in 1979. She married Max J. Nichols of Oklahoma City on Jan. 4, 1958, and remained his loving wife. They lived in Columbus, Ga.; Wurzburg, Germany, and Minneapolis, Minn., before moving to Oklahoma City in 1980. She gave private lessons in piano and sang with the Bach Society and Minnesota Orchestra before beginning her childhood dream of using her music talents to help people. She started as a music therapist at LaSalle Convalescent Home in Minneapolis. She served as Program Director at Danforth Senior Center in Oklahoma City from 1980 to 1982 and as Executive Director from 1982 to 1983, leading an effort to incorporate the center and choose a board of directors. She served as one of the first few music therapists in Oklahoma for Willow View Hospital from 1983 to 1990, at Deaconess Hospital in 1991 and at Red Rock Behavioral Mental Health Services from 1991 to 1993. Over the years she worked with children, adolescents and geriatric patients, using her abilities to sing and play the piano, organ, autoharp, dulcimer, guitar and percussion instruments as well as education skills. She also developed intern programs and helped train students for music therapy. She served as a member of the Advisory Council for the Retired Senior Volunteer Program, the Oklahoma City Community Volunteer Action Committee, the Special Olympics Program and a committee to design a gerontology program for Oklahoma City Community College. She also played the organ part time at St. Joseph's Old Cathedral and sang in the St. Joseph's Choir, the Oklahoma City Archdiocese Choir and the St. Francis of Assisi Church Choir, where members helped her continue for two years despite the effects of Alzheimer's. Her family will always be grateful to the St. Francis Choir members for their loving support. She loved her children and grandchildren, and she enjoyed travels with her family to 40 states and eight European countries. She is survived by her husband Max, their children including Karl Nichols and his wife Wendy of North Charleston, S.C.; Renata Faeth and her husband Brian of Minneapolis; Kelley Nichols of Miami Beach, Fla., and Kevin Nichols and his wife Carrie of Edmond; their grandchildren including Hannah and Micah Nichols of North Charleston, and Sydney Scott of Minneapolis, and her sister Joyce Pipps and her husband Elmo of Shawnee. Memorial gifts may be made to Alzheimer's Association, 1 N. Hudson, Suite 550, Oklahoma City, OK 73102. An Evening Prayer Service will be held at 7:00 p.m. Wednesday, August 7, 2002 at Smith & Kernke Chapel, 1401 N.W. 23rd St., and a Mass of Christian Burial will be held at 2:00 p.m. Thursday, August 8, 2002, at St. Francis of Assisi Church. Services will also be held at the United Methodist Church in McCurtain at 11:00 a.m. Friday, August 9, 2002, with interment following at the Miner's Cemetery in McCurtain, Oklahoma. Published in the Oklahoman on 8/7/2002. -------------------------------------------------------------------------- Return to Oklahoma County Archives: http://www.rootsweb.com/~usgenweb/ok/oklahoma/oklahoma.html