It is with great sadness that we share the passing of Dr. Steven R. Nichols. Dr. Nichols was a founding member of Andrews Sports Medicine & Orthopaedic Center. He faithfully served his patients for decades, until his retirement in 2021.
Obituary
Steven Ralph Nichols was born in Luverne, Alabama on November 25, 1951 and walked into resurrected life on November 2, 2024. Steve learned the value of hard work at an early age and carried it throughout his lifetime. He graduated from Luverne High School, where he served as Senior Class President and excelled in baseball and football. Steve earned his undergraduate degree from the University of Alabama, where he proudly served as President of Phi Gamma Delta fraternity.
Steve married his college sweetheart, Lucy Ann Hughston, and continued his education at the University of Alabama School of Medicine. After a medical fellowship in Charlotte, North Carolina, Steve and his young and growing family returned to Birmingham to make their home.
Steve devoted himself to medicine and bettered the lives of countless patients. He was a board-certified Orthopaedic surgeon and founding partner of Andrews Sports Medicine & Orthopaedic Center. After his retirement in 2021, he continued to make house calls to his children and grandchildren as their devoted "Doc" and faithfully tended to their ailments. He could often be found cheering at his grandchildren's sporting events or enjoying his small slice of heaven in Pickens County, Alabama. Steve was a member of Covenant Presbyterian Church as well as numerous medical societies.
Steve's greatest gift was his uncanny ability to connect with people from all walks of life. He was equally at home in the Pickens County Co-op and the operating room. Steve leaves a legacy of hard work, gratitude for his many blessings, and an appreciation for the beauty of God's creation. He was one of the most generous men we have encountered, be it with his medical skill, material possessions, or laughter.
Steve was preceded in death by his parents, Voncile Richburg Nichols and Ralph Nehemiah Nichols. Steve is survived by his wife Lucy Ann Hughston Nichols; their children Lucy Caroline Nichols, Steven Hughston Nichols (Sarah Katherine), William Steven Nichols (Frances), and John Hughston Nichols (Rachel); their grandchildren, Hughston and Jack Nichols, Drennen and Emma Nichols, and John Tyler and Alice Nichols; his sister Cindy Nichols Bowron (Tom); and a host of nieces and nephews.
Visitation with family will be from 11:00 am- 1:00 pm on Wednesday November 6, 2024 at Ridout's Valley Chapel in Homewood, AL followed by a private burial for family. In lieu of flowers the family would appreciate memorial gifts in honor of Dr. Steven R. Nichols to The Foundry Ministries (P.O. Box 824, Bessemer, AL 35201) or The Big Oak Ranch (6000 Shelley Drive, Springville, AL 35416) or charity of your choice.
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Published by AL.com (Birmingham) from Nov. 3 to Nov. 4, 2024.
