Norman J. Nickman

Norman J. Nickman, 73, Missoula Montana, formerly of Pleasanton, died September 6, 2011 at his home in Missoula. A memorial mass will be held Tuesday, July 3, 2012 at 10:30 a.m. at St. Mary’s Catholic Church in Pleasanton with Fr. Marty Egging officiating. Military rites will be held at the St. Mary’s Catholic Cemetery in Pleasanton by the United State Navy Funeral Honors team, and the Pleasanton American Legion and V.F.W. A wake service will be Monday, July 2, 2012 at 7:00 p.m. at the St. Mary’s Catholic Church with Fr. Marty Egging officiating. Visitation will be Monday from 6:00 to 7:00 p.m. at the church and one hour prior to the service on Tuesday. Visit www.hlmkfuneral.com to leave a message of condolence, tribute or memory. Horner Lieske McBride & Kuhl Funeral and Cremation Services of Kearney are in charge of arrangements. Norman was born on Nov. 10, 1937, to John L. and Monica (Mona) C. Nickman in Pleasanton, Neb. He was raised on the farm with his older brothers, Bob and Don and his younger sister, Joanne. Dad graduated from Pleasanton High School in 1955 with 10 fellow students. He received his undergraduate degree in 1958 from Nebraska State College and the University of Nebraska. In 1959, he was appointed a Reserve officer and commissioned as a lieutenant junior grade in the U.S. Naval Reserve Medical Corps. In 1962, he received his Doctor of Medicine and Bachelor of Science in medicine from the University of Nebraska College of Medicine. It was about this time that he met a young nursing student named Janet Charlene Joseph and they were married on Aug. 18, 1962 (they were divorced in 2001). He completed his internship at Bishop Clarkson Memorial Hospital in 1963; residency in general surgery at the VA Hospital in 1965; residency in otolaryngology and maxillofacial surgery at the University of Iowa College of Medicine in 1968. It was during their time in Iowa City that their children John and Mary were born. He was also permanently appointed a lieutenant commander in the U.S. Naval Reserve in 1967 and called to active duty in 1968. While actively serving in the U.S. Navy at Oaknoll Naval Hospital in Oakland, Calif., their daughter, Annemarie, was born. Dad was released from active duty on June 30, 1970, and I remember our family arriving in Missoula on July 4 that year to begin a new chapter in our lives. Dad was honorably discharged from the U.S. Naval Reserve in 1980. In his time in the Navy, he was awarded the National Defense Service Medal and received numerous commendations from his rear admiral for exemplary naval service and volunteering his time at hospitals in nearby Hayward and Alameda. Norman began his first practice in Missoula as an ear, nose and throat, head and neck surgeon in July 1970 with Ophthalmology & Otolaryngology Associates, the predecessor to the Rocky Mountain Eye, Ear, Nose & Throat Medical Center. He eventually retired in 2000 as partners with Dr. Jim Jarrett and Dr. Ward Dewitt of the Association for Head and Neck Surgery. My father will be remembered by western Montana and Missoula in particular as an awesome physician with a caring bedside manner. During his career he received numerous awards and honors. Norman loved to hunt and fish, shoot trap and skeet, and so forth, which makes me thank him for his love of the outdoors. Dad started shooting international skeet for the U.S. Navy team in 1968, which is the version of skeet shot in the Olympics. Dad and I got to make a trip to South Africa in 2007, which was an experience I’ll never forget and would love to repeat. He had always dreamed of shooting a cape buffalo and we came home successful with a blue wildebeest and impala as well. Dad was a long time member and donor to organizations including the NRA (life), NSSA, MSSA, Missoula Trap& Skeet Club, Ducks Unlimited, Safari Club, Retriever trial clubs, American Legion and numerous others. He was also supportive of BASH and the Loyola Sacred Heart Foundation. He was preceded in death by his parents; his brother, Bob; and our mother, Jan. He is survived by his son, John Nickman of Missoula and granddaughter, Megan Van Haren (Pete) of Las Vegas; daughter Mary Ebe (Greg), grandchildren Erika, Dana and Bryan of Custer, Wash.; daughter Anne Millar (Jud), grandchildren Wyatt and Molly of Huntingdon, Pa. He is also survived by his brother Don Nickman of Park City, Utah; sister Joanne Baciocco (Gene) of Atherton, Calif., and our aunts Doris Nickman of Pleasanton and Dianne Nickman of Helena. One of his beloved black Labs, Dancer, also survives him. He is also survived by many cousins, nieces, nephews and their spouses and children. I would like to mention his nephew and our cousin, Mike Nickman, who kept Dad connected to the family farm after Uncle Bob passed away. I know the time Mike took out of his long days to talk to him about the farm meant a lot to Dad. PDF Printable Version

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Norman J. Nickman

November 10, 1937 - September 6, 2011