Phyllis M. Nicholas, 84 of Sterling, passed away Sat., Feb. 6, 2016 in Sterling. Visitation will be Mon., Feb. 15 from 10am until 4pm at Chaney-Reager Funeral Home. Funeral service will be held Tues., Feb. 16 at 10am at Chaney-Reager Funeral Home, with interment at Riverside Cemetery.

Phyllis was born June 12, 1931 in Des Moines, Iowa to D. W. Bill and Ruth Young Dotson. She graduated from Lincoln High School in 1948.

She married Paul J. Nicholas on June 10, 1951 in Lincoln, NE. They moved to Sterling, CO in 1959 from Holdrege, NE. Phyllis attended the Methodist Church and more recently First Presbyterian Church. She was a member, secretary and past president of the Orpheus Club and was involved with many productions of Amahl and the Night Visitors. Phyllis was also a member of Rotary and the Colorado Music Teacher's Association. Phyllis played the organ and her husband was the choir director at the Methodist Church for many years and then she moved to the Episcopal Church to play the organ for close to 20 years. She was involved with the Miss Colorado Pageant that was held in Sterling and was also a member of the Sweet Adeline's barbershop choir group. Phyllis helped out with several musicals at the high school and taught piano lessons for over 35 years. She was the accompanist for over two hundred weddings and funerals over the years.

Phyllis enjoyed making trips back east to see her son and daughter-in-law and the grand kids and visiting relatives in California. She enjoyed card games and trivia pursuit excelling on questions about old movies, which she enjoyed.

Phyllis is survived by her son Greg A. Nicholas and wife Anne of Haddam, CT and grandchildren Erika Nicholas and Benjamin Nicholas of Haddam, CT.

She was preceded in death by her parents, husband Paul Nicholas in 2009 and sister Priscilla Blush.

The family is most appreciative of her care at Devonshire Acres and her caregiver Cindy Smart.

Contributions may be made to the NJC Hope Scholarship Fund.