Toni Sipes Nickel, 1942-2020
Editor’s Note: Terry King noticed the obituaries in The Messenger mailed to Class of 1960 members in April and wrote to tell us that Toni Sipes Nickel had died. Many thanks to Terry for sending these details about Toni’s life.
Marie Antoinette Sipes Nickel was born on June 15, 1942 and passed away on December 16,
2020, in Niceville, Florida. Known as “Toni,” she graduated from East High in the Class of 1960. (Right, Toni in 1960)
Toni married Dave Nickel, who was in the U.S. Air Force. Before Dave retired from the Air Force, they lived in Turkey, Guam, and at many domestic airbases. His last post was at Eglin Air Force base in Niceville, where they moved in 1978. While at Eglin, home to the Air Force’s most advanced radar and computer systems, Toni worked as a Civil Service computer operator. They liked Niceville so much they decided to stay in the emerald coast of Florida.
After Dave’s retirement, Toni worked at JoAnn Fabrics. This was a good fit for Toni, who was a master quilter and seamstress. She and Dave were avid volunteers at the local ASPCA, fostering many dogs and keeping many dogs as well.
Toni died from Alzheimers in 2020, and Dave died in December 2024. Both are buried in Niceville. All three of Toni’s children, Angela, Mike, and Mark are deceased as well. Toni is survived by two grandsons, children of her youngest son Mark, and one great grandson who is nine months old.
A friend of Toni’s wrote this tribute in the Heritage Gardens Funeral Home Tribute Book: Toni and I worked together as computer operators at Site C-6, where we first met, then again at Eglin Hospital. After she left Civil Service, she worked at JoAnn Fabrics part-time. We had a lot of discussions about sewing techniques and she gave me a lot of tips. One discussion I remember in particular was about how many clothes made commercially don’t have plaids matched correctly. We were both appalled that companies dared to sell them! I will always match my plaids and think of you, Toni.
The obituary for Toni’s son Mark suggests more about Toni’s life.
MARK ALAN NICKEL
October 3, 1968 to February 1, 2023
Mark Alan Nickel was born on Macdill AFB in Tampa Florida October 3, 1968 to David and Toni Sipes Nickel. Being an Air Force family, they were stationed many places – Guam where he experienced his first hurricane as a youngster to South Dakota where he experienced his first snow. The last transfer was to Eglin AFB in the panhandle of Florida, where the family stayed in Niceville.
On February 1, 2023, Mark passed at the age of 54 in Macon, Georgia. Since 2018 he had been working at the Warner Robbins AFB, which is a main C130 worldwide maintenance facility. He designed, re-designed, upgraded and maintained the C130 for the majority of his working career. He knew the plane literally inside and out.
