Obituaries

Valerie Jo Nicholls was born November 6, 1946 in Kemmerer, WY to Garth and Caroline Nicholls. She left the many people who loved her on January 10, 2021 in Seattle, WA.

A celebration of her life is scheduled for June 11, 2022 at the Shoreline Lake Forest Park Senior Center, Seattle in the banquet room at 1:00 p.m. with a reception to follow.  There will be an additional celebration of life in Valerie’s home town where her ashes will be interred.  It is scheduled for later in the year.

Winner of Seattle Opera’s Cecilia Schultz Audition, Valerie’s life passion was opera.  Most of her energy, money, and focus during her 20’s and 30’s went to studying and performing opera.  Among her many other achievements was a solo performance at the historic Capital Theater.

Valerie was a woman of many talents and many interests.  Growing up in Southwest Wyoming, she was a tomboy, prankster, fisher, hiker, naturalist, artist, singer, saxophone player,  lover of swimming, horses, libraries, literature, music, art, history, art history, French and much more.  After graduating from Kemmerer High School in 1965 Valerie accepted a scholarship from Seattle University.   Earning Bachelor of Arts Degrees in English and French, Suma Cum Laude in 1969, she secured a TA position and completed a Master of Arts.

After graduation her life centered on opera.   A vocalist, soloist and choral director in Seattle churches, she added teaching at a business college, clerking at King Co. Library and other pursuits.  With these Valerie supported herself and her intense and dedicated study of opera.  She studied with a prominent Seattle vocal coach, the late Suzanne Szekely.   For fun she sang with numerous quartets, madrigal groups, choirs, etc. and loved cooking, enjoying live performances,  fine food and drink, movies, exploring new places, spending time with family, and  with her many friends. Valerie also cared deeply and especially about the treatment of animals, women’s issues, equal distribution of wealth, and non-violent solutions to conflicts on all levels.

Valerie loved to travel and did so every chance she got.  Besides traveling to numerous states and Canada, Valerie traveled to Europe three times.  In 1974 she was a member of the “One Church, One Faith, One Lord” ecumenical Seattle choir performance tour in Scotland and Ireland (including Belfast). Valerie twice more toured Europe alone and on a shoe string budget; hitch hiking her way.  Another opera friend expressed deep admiration for Valerie’s courage and fortitude to take on the second trip to audition for as many opera directors as possible.

Valerie lived her entire adult life in the Seattle area and never lost her love of being near Puget Sound and the ocean and cultural offerings of that city.  Valerie loved her hometown area as well and spent many summers visiting family, old friends, the library, and wandering back roads and fishing with Dad.

Fifteen of her final 20 years were plagued by severe chronic back pain and eventually surgery.  Eighteen months in hospitals and nursing homes due to surgeries and health events followed.   She persevered through the many series of PT.  She was enjoying life without back pain, walking, driving and having fun until COVID made her isolate in her apartment.  Even without ZOOM she managed to stay connected and participate in life from home.  Sadly, she never got to benefit from vaccines and more freedom.

She leaves many memories and is dearly missed by those who loved her:  brother Garth Jones Nicholls (Jeannie Spring) Colorado Springs, CO; sister Toni RaNae Nicholls (Phil Molloy) Trail, BC Canada; nephews Alex Trevor Jacobs-Nicholls (Wenatchee, WA) and Eric Damon Jacobs-Nicholls (Bend, OR); bonus sister Jeannine Bramstedt; nephews John Bramstedt (Destiny) and children (Cosmopolis, WA)and Michael Bramstedt (Satomi) (Pasadena, MD) ; confidante and kindred spirit Myron Myers , (DeKalb, Il);  Larry Nicholls (Mesquite, NV/Logan, UT); Aunt Lillian Juvan (Kemmerer); Uncle Anton C. and Winona Munari (Laramie, WY), and numerous cousins.  Valerie’s many Seattle friends include:  Stacy Campbell, Robert Schilperoort, and James Hays, who not only were awesome friends to Valerie but also helped our family settle Valerie’s affairs during the COVID no-travel time.  Lifelong friend, Jim Bolm taught Valerie to drive in her 30’s! Dear friend and former colleague in opera previews, Gloria Phillip (Missoula, MT).  Huge support, Fran Toombs (Mesa, Arizona).   Many more wonderful people brought joy to Val’s life and she to theirs.

Preceded in death by her parents; Garth and Caroline (Munari) Nicholls; Grandparents Henry and Mary Ellen (Jones) Nicholls; Charles and Theresa (Dreu) Munari; William Bramstedt; Dale Toombs and Numerous aunts, uncles, cousins and friends.

“Consummate Professional Musician” ” “Bohemian”  “Wild Woman Spirit”  “Determined Will and Huge Courage” and so much more describe this rare, multifaceted woman.

In lieu of flowers please make a contribution in Valerie’s name to the Shoreline Lake Forest Park Senior Center; WA State AG, Robert Ferguson; The Humane Society, or Planned Parenthood.  

ADDENDUM TO THE OBITUARY OF VALERIE JO NICHOLLS

I am Valerie’s sister, RaNae, and wish to provide the following informal biography to add to Valerie’s Obituary.  I think/hope she would approve.  I simply can’t bare to summarize such a multifaceted woman in less than 1000 words.

Valerie had Mom and Dad to herself for almost 4 years and was treasured beyond measure. Her first year and more they resided with Grandma Nicholls in Randolph, Utah. Doting abounded. There was a vinyl record of Val counting to 10 at age three (maybe younger).

Next, came Paris.   We found it very entertaining to say:   “My sister was born in Paris—Idaho that is.”  (I guess I still do.)  Though they did live in Paris, Valerie was not born there nor in the home of Grandma N. (the first grandchild not!).  Mom insisted on a hospital birth in her home town area, there being no hospital in Randolph. Per all accounts Valerie was a delightful baby and child as well as being precocious.

She loved her Daddy, a rancher till age 28, and Valerie developed a love of animals, especially horses, and nature. A precious early memory was Dad taking her to watch lambing and holding a newborn lamb. For pets we had a dog; a bum lamb, feral cats we kids snuck food to and adopted, baby ducks, and of course the usual guppies, gold fish and tiny turtles.   One Easter we each got a bantam chick. In Seattle adopting an abandoned rabbit to live in her apartment she somehow ended up with two rabbits.  Cats were a constant.  She delighted in watching birds, not to learn their names just to enjoy their antics; especially humming birds.  And she claimed to have “communed” once with a beaver while fishing.   Throughout childhood she created beautiful horse art plus art works of nature scenes.  And I’m told she took up painting again at the senior center in her last years.

We loved family camping in Dad’s old “army tent” and fishing at Middle Piney Lake 2 weeks in summer. She also enjoyed scraping branches on the outhouse I occupied knowing I’d think it was porcupines out to get me.  She stood silently while I cried out for her help. I forgave her after she saved me from being trapped in the bottom of my sleeping bag.  All through childhood she was my confidante, best friend, and nurturing second mother.

In early years and beyond she loved new experiences and created them not only for herself, but for me and our younger brother, Garth as well.  A voracious reader and with that added to her incredible imagination and intelligence, Valerie came up with all sorts of ideas. I got to be her side kick. She was under 12 when she created a Thanksgiving cornucopia center piece from practically thin air, and even younger when she wrote plays for us to perform; made a library from our handful of books; started digging a swimming pool in the back yard; then a pet cemetery — oh the list is long.  Once I threatened to tell if she didn’t take me down to the river with her friends to swim.   It required climbing between and under railroad cars in the switching yard behind our house.

As the oldest, Valerie was assigned numerous chores and often had to be responsible for me and Garth J.  When Dad was in barber school and Mom a waitress; Valerie (age 9 or 10) cleaned up after dinner, entertained us, stoked the coal stove, and put us to bed.  Occasionally we tried making sweet treats—then we had to hide the resulting mess.

A great role model, Valerie led Garth J and I to aspire to straight A’s, perfect attendance, fullest participation possible and full on adventures (some forbidden).  She taught me to sing soprano to her alto when I was about 8.

Big Piney years included 4-H; the county fair, rodeos and later a summer job on a cattle ranch living with and assisting the cook. . . and developing a crush on a cowboy at the ranch. She initiated raiding gardens, setting off fireworks (no idea where she got them), driving the 10 year old standard transmission Chevy sedan without a lesson or licence, hiding to smoke cigarettes, riding bikes to build a fire and cook breakfast under an old bridge, ice skating, plus so much more.  In Big Piney, if someone bullied us we told them our big sister would beat them up; and it worked.    An oft shared memory was the year Freemont Lake froze over slick as a mirror and the community “relocated” on weekends to skate!

Thanks to the wonderful RC Church community Valerie, at 11, began her soloist performing in the adult choir under the tutelage of Mom’s wonderful friend Bernie Gosar.  Mom had visions of her playing in a dance orchestra and enticed Val to playing Tenor Saxophone. Mr. Gallager music teacher in BP made band and choir wonderful.  Music got its toe hold.  Or maybe that happened earlier; our parents often sang doing chores, we all sang during the long drive to Grandma N’s.  Mom taught us to polka soon after we walked I think and danced with us in her arms before that.

In high school back in Kemmerer Valerie had many good friends and was known for her voice, good humor, grades and intelligence.  She squeezed in as many activities as she could:  marching band, dance band, pep band, pep club, decorating for  dances, marking the K on the hill with kerosene soaked rags then lighting it on fire, choir and soloist, honor society, theater, advanced classes and much more.  She approached it all with utmost enthusiasm, and she graduated Salutatorian of her class in 1965.

Enlisted to sing for Grandma N’s funeral and several more, Valerie beautifully sang “You’ll Never Walk Alone” from the musical Carousel despite her emotions.

Singing along with Edith Piaf records and supportive teacher Mr. McElroy added learning French as a major interest.  She chose to attend Seattle University to continue her French studies with Madame Marchand famous for the Marchand Method of Instruction, at The Sorbonne in Paris. Later when she traveled, Val said people in France complimented her French and told her she had no accent.   Valerie later studied German so she could sing Wagner.

Scholarship offerings came from schools with more status due to her amazing SAT scores, but Seattle U it was.   She had a blast.  It was her first chance to be not only on her own but with so many peers who loved intellectual pursuits and debates as much as she. Singing and playing with chamber music groups; learning to sail; work study at the student post office, protesting the Vietnam War, enjoying parties and dorm life all fit in around completing her degrees. I think the idea was that she would become a teacher, but I don’t know if it was ever Valerie’s idea.

Her love of music had been biding its time. Now she began a “struggling artist” lifestyle with jobs to pay for necessities; opera lessons being most essential.   She sang wherever the quality of the music satisfied her.  She walked and rode the bus all over Seattle.  She met many dear and lifelong friends through her employment as a paid soloist and choir director in several churches over the years.

Valerie worked as music director for Denny Park Lutheran, Pilgrim Congregational and Peace Lutheran Church; and had ties to University Methodist Temple; University Presbyterian, Blessed Sacrament (Dominican) Church, and others.      Jim Bolm recalls,  “Valerie and I met at Denny Park Lutheran Church. She was the choir director. Dale and Fran (Toombs) were in the choir, and Dale’s father tended the organs in the church. We did lots of good music and had a concert series going on there”.

Opera was her love and center of her life.  Valerie studied for years with Suzanne Szekely.  She met friend Gloria Phillip collaborating as preview artists for Seattle Opera. Finally, after rigorous preparation, Valerie won the coveted Schulz award for the Seattle Opera Company. She now had a wonderful opportunity to advance her career.  Here’s how the award is described on their website:

“Starting in 1972, Seattle Opera developed an annual audition whose three top winners went into a yearlong training program in Music, drama, and diction, with instruction by Seattle Opera staff and visiting artists and frequent performance opportunities, including the mainstage.  The auditions drew singers from several states.  Winners also received cash awards presented by the Seattle Opera Guild.  By the time the program ended in 1982 audition winners were touring in their own productions of operas such a Le nozze di Figaro (1979) and Cosi fan tutte (1981)”

Valerie was beside herself with joy when she called to tell me she’d won.   This incredible accomplishment was the break she dreamed of.  She had secured a place to send her career on its way.

Then came the crash.  Valerie was informed that the director had spent the money set aside for the award, and there was no money for the training program she’d spent so much heart, effort and hard earned money to prepare for.

I remember that time, but I had no understanding of the depth of this loss, nor did anyone in our family. Trying to understand that now, I have been told by several of her dear music friends that Valerie was often unassuming and humble about her own achievements.  I think that is why I only saw her perform a small number of times which I deeply regret.  Valerie just did not mention it to the family there was an opportunity coming to see a performance, which makes me sad.   I wish I’d asked for her to do so sooner than I did.  Garth J was at one performance and remembers being very impressed. I wish I’d encouraged our parents to see her perform.  They would have been so proud for her.

I did get to see the program at the Capital Theatre and she was magnificent.  I don’t think I’ve seen anyone better. Also saw her in the Tacoma Community College production of the Magic Flute with my sons when they were little.  She was wonderful.  But there was so much I and my family missed.  And I didn’t even know to bring her flowers after the performance!  Thankfully, it seems Valerie didn’t need our support, she was determined and strong.

Amazing and to her credit, she managed to pick herself up and begin again, travelling to Europe to audition there.  I’ve been told by someone who did the same that this is grueling, but I don’t remember Valerie talking about it like that.  She was disappointed in being unable to secure a position, and I think broken hearted as her age was beginning to be an issue for opera. She dedicated herself to her church job at the time along with other singing opportunities.

Valerie remained in the Seattle Area the rest of her life. She absolutely loved the wild of Vashon Island where she rented an old family farm house from the Toombs. Taking the ferries back and forth to work became an opportunity to be on the water and per chance see sea life.  Gathering shells at the isolated beach; the light house; the bike that had become part of a tree; walking most places; animals; overgrown blackberry bushes, the lush green never grew old.   She loved being near Puget Sound which was “the ocean” to us.   All things ocean are magical after land locked childhoods.

For as long as I can remember Valerie declared she never wanted to marry and be a mother.  She even said she preferred not to be around children.  Once her nephews arrived, that was different.  She loved to spend time with them.  She often brought them gifts that were perfect for their ages and then enjoyed them together with them.  Even when they became adults they were still her little sweeties and she just bubbled when with them.

Ocean love not withstanding; Valerie never stopped loving the Southwest Wyoming area of her childhood. She revelled in a ride “up the country” especially if we saw a moose.  Animals, domestic and wild always got noticed with glee.  She gloried as if it were a precious perfume if the scent of fresh mown hay wafted into the car.

Valerie proved her metal many times. Besides traveling around Europe on her own twice, she lived and worked with severe migraine including auras which temporarily blinded her for driving or anything else. While hiking at LaPush in 1985 she slipped and fell from the trail down a high cliff to the beach!  People on the beach promptly came to help including a nurse and a distance runner (Before cells, remember). On a gurney hanging down from the helicopter, she was taken to hospital.  With a fractured skull, compound fractures of her wrist and multiple cuts and bruises; some called it a miracle she lived. She regretted not remembering the helicopter ride when I showed her picture on the front page of the newspaper.  Upon discharge and after the ferry ride, she wanted to stop for a meal in a restaurant.  When friends came to see how she was I had to tell her to stay put, or she’d have been up making them tea.

In the last 20 or so years of her life Valerie lived and worked as long as she could with severe chronic back pain. She finally found a surgeon and went for back surgery in June of 2014. Not the plan but she was unable to return home till October of 2015. I call this the years from hell.  She endured back surgery ,a blood clot, a brain bleed, 10 hour replacement surgeries on both shattered hips; and between them an appendectomy (necessary to prevent a lifelong condition from an ever growing benign tumor); all in less than 18 months.  Of course physical therapy came after each surgery, but she was determined to walk.  Several CRISTA staff are forever in our hearts.  She did the excruciating work; amazing many seasoned health professionals and she did walk again.

After several months of healing at home and emotional trauma recovery she realized she no longer had pain in her back.  She drove again and began doing things she loved, including singing in a choir.  She took painting, exercise, other classes and field trips through Shoreline Lake Forest Park Senior Center.   Thanks to them she was truly enjoying her life again.

Of course the COVID pandemic came along and isolated Valerie in her apartment.   But the SLFP Senior Center made frequent phone calls, and arranged for her needs to be provided.  Dear friends bravely entered the apartment building and tried to help with Zoom but alas she was limited to phone calls and television (awesome friend again).

Our mother died in Wyoming in April 2020.  Valerie had to say good-by over the phone.  Valerie and I had a wonderful visit in fall of 2020 despite COVID.  I will be forever grateful as it was the last time I was with her.  She was thrilled and relieved with President Biden’s win and furious about what followed.   I think it no coincidence that she died of a heart attack just three days after the attempted coup on our democracy.

In writing this, I have experienced so much gratitude for having had Valerie in my life, and so much appreciation of who she was/is.    I have come to call her a Wild Woman Spirit.   And others know her as a consummate professional.  She was much more than either.  I’m glad she was my sister, and I miss her so much. 

All are welcome to join us in honoring Valerie’s memory at the Shoreline Lake Forest Park Senior Center on June 11, 2022 at 1:00 pm. During this Celebration of her life there will be a time for those who wish to share memories of Valerie.  If anyone cannot attend but wishes to write a memory to be read aloud please email to RaNae:  [email protected] or mail to Garth Nicholls; PO Box 672; Green Mountain Falls, CO 80819-072.  A Celebration of Life is also planned for Kemmerer, WY in the fall.

One of Valerie’s long time friends who has more knowledge of Valerie’s professional musician life kindly wrote this for Valerie’s obituary.

Valerie Nicholls and her Music

by Gloria Phillip

Here is what I have been able to piece together about Valerie’s musical life from what Valerie told me and the programs/information I have on hand.

Valerie came to Seattle – and worked with eminent people: teacher, Marianne Weltmann, conductor William Clarke, and coach Susanne Szekely among other known Seattle musicians.

In 1982, Valerie won Seattle Opera’s Cecilia Schultz award with her performance of “Dich teure Halle” (role of Elisabeth) in Wagner’s Tannhaüser. The program was to give Valerie yearlong training in music, drama, and diction with frequent performance opportunities including mainstage performance at Seattle Opera. As you well know, Glynn Ross, the impresario of Seattle Opera, mismanaged the funds set aside for the prize and the program ended abruptly in 1982 with Valerie missing her opportunity to set foot on the Seattle Opera stage. (Valerie told me she had spent a great deal of her funds in lessons and coaching fees – not to mention the necessary clothing – to win the award. It was a setback for her, but she persevered onward in music.) I did not know Valerie then.

I met Valerie in 1984 when we were both Preview Artists for Seattle Opera. We were sent to various arenas/large houses in Seattle to do the equivalent of fundraisers for Seattle Opera by singing a few arias of the current opera being shown on the main stage at the time. Valerie was a spinto soprano and we both did arias from Verdi’s La Forza del Destino in January 1984. Valerie sang on January 3 and January 14 (according to my roster). We became good friends and Valerie told me she had done previews for Eugene Onegin (Tschaikovsky) and Madama Butterfly (Puccini) among others.

Valerie was a known soloist in the Seattle area for chamber groups. In a program I have of a May 19, 1985, concert she did, she sang an eclectic program of Stephen Foster’s “Jeannie with the Light Brown Hair,” the Celtic tune, “Morning Has Broken,” Ralph Vaughan Williams’ “The Call,” a cycle of Shakespeare songs set by various composers (performed with a flute) and “My Spirit Rejoices” by J. S. Bach. On this program it was stated: “Valerie Nicholls will be touring and auditioning for opera companies in Europe this fall, partially sponsored by Bob Chesterfield, Jr. of the Pacific Coast Investment Company and Richard Hansen.” Thus, I believe Valerie went to Europe to audition there in autumn 1985.

Valerie was back in Seattle by Sunday, November 2, 1986, when she performed “Four Songs by Moravian Composers” with the Hildman Strings, directed by Janice Hildman. On Sunday, February 22, 1987, Valerie performed at Pilgrim Congregational Church “Domine Deus” from Vivaldi’s Gloria, J. S. Bach’s “Blute Nur” from the Passion According to St.Matthew, “I Will Singen von Einem Könige (18th century Moravian), and Stephen Foster’s “Jeannie With the Light Brown Hair” with the eminent coach Susanne Szekely as her accompanist. On August 2, 1987, Valerie performed J. S. Bach’s Kantata BMW 140 – with bassbaritone Paul Twedt, four songs (Op. 16) by Peter Cornelius and “Tircis et Climène” by M. P. del Monteclair again with bass-baritone Paul Twedt accompanied by harpsichordist Jim Bolm. On this program it stated: “Valerie Nicholls, soprano, is a concert and oratorio soloist and a Seattle Opera Preview Artist. Presently, she is the soprano soloist at Pilgrim Congregational Church, Seattle.” Pilgrim Congregational Church had good acoustics – and that is where I heard her sing the ethereally beautiful angel solo in “Lauda per la Natività del Signore” by Respighi.

Along with singing, Valerie worked as an apartment manager and did clerical work. Then Valerie moved to Vashon Island and commuted to West Seattle where she was the Choir Director of Peace Lutheran Church in West Seattle for several years. I believe Valerie was still directing the choir when I left Seattle to move back to Montana to care for my mother in 1991. I kept in touch with Valerie over the phone and know that when she left the church choir director job, it was the last musical job Valerie had. Sometime later Valerie had that horrible experience (after back surgery), but Valerie was back in her current apartment when I was able to visit her in August of 2017. We talked of all the fun times we had had when she gave her Twelfth Night parties and we would sing carols from the Oxford Book of Carols – both when she was in Seattle and then on Vashon Island. Valerie had a very generous spirit, and I will miss her terribly. During one of our last conversations, Valerie told me she had gone to a Handel Messiah singalong (with an orchestra) and had sung every solo and all the choruses in the work and had “great fun” doing it. I am so glad she was able to do that – Valerie was a true musician as well as an artist.