Nicolas James Nieboer went home to be with his Lord and Savior Jesus Christ on September 14, 2024. Nick was born on May 3,1932 in Kalamazoo Michigan, the fifth child of Jacob and Grace Nieboer who fostered a close and loving family which included nine other siblings. Nick grew up during the Great Depression and had several jobs as a boy delivering Western Union telegrams, Kalamazoo Gazette newspapers, grocery orders for VanderKlok Delivery Service and working on his father’s vineyard. He graduated from Kalamazoo Christian High School in 1950 and later was drafted into the US Army during the Korean War where he served as a military policeman. After receiving an honorable discharge, he returned to Kalamazoo and while attending services at the First Christian Reformed Church, he met Ann Apotheker, a recent immigrant from the Netherlands. They were married in 1956 and raised four children, Jim, Betty, Ron, and Steve.

Nick worked as a draftsman for the National Water Lift Company where he used his skills of precision and accuracy to design hydraulic systems for most of the aircraft and spacecraft introduced from the 1960s through the 1980s. Nick was an active member of the Christian Reformed Church and the Kalamazoo Christian Schools where he served several terms as a deacon, elder and school board member.

Nick and Ann loved to travel with their children and especially enjoyed camping across the US. Later they filled their passports with numerous travel adventures across the world and spent their retirement winters in Florida. Nick delighted in his family and spent many happy times with them including splashing in the pool with grandchildren at their home on Fineview. He thoroughly enjoyed sports participating in baseball, softball, golf, distance running and tennis and loved attending any athletic event involving the Kalamazoo Christian Comets.

Nick was a kind and gentle man with a charming sense of humor. He had a vibrant faith and vividly recalled the moment of his conversion while walking home from elementary school one day: “I had a sudden strong realization that I was a child of God and wept tears of joy.” Nick loved singing in church choirs, attending church services and listening to good sermons — usually three or four each Sunday. He was given the spiritual gift of eloquent prayer, weaving his extensive knowledge of biblical truths with the language of a humble child speaking joyfully to his Heavenly Father. Nick was a prayer warrior for his children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren.

Left to cherish his memory are his four children and their spouses: Jim (Laurie) Nieboer, Betty (Tom) Bultman, Ron Nieboer, and Steve (Joy) Nieboer; eight grandchildren, Jesse Nieboer, Leah Nieboer, Micah (Leah) Nieboer, Sam (Rachael) Bultman, David (Katie) Bultman, Annie Bultman, Josie (Chad) Niewoonder, and Grace Nieboer; eight great-grandchildren, with three on the way. Also surviving are Nick’s siblings Donna Johncock, Phil (Barb) Nieboer, Gert (Will) Nieboer, Mary (Bill) Greenfield and Howard (Deb) Nieboer; Ann’s siblings Paula (Al) Nagel, Florence (Ron) Oosting, John (Beth) Apotheker, Gert Vandenberg, Frank Apotheker, Albert (Grace) Apotheker, Rea Schreuder, Jane (John) Schreuder, Hank (Carole) Apotheker, and Arlene (John) Kiel and many nieces and nephews.

Proceeding him in death are Ann, his loving wife of 64 years; his beloved grandson Nicolas Robert Nieboer; his parents Jacob and Grace Nieboer, parents-in-law Kobe and Elizabeth Apotheker, brothers Jackie, Harold and Willard, sisters Marguerite Miersma, and Esther Ring; in-laws Fran (Harold) Nieboer, Calvin Miersma, Walter Ring, Norman Johncock, Henry Vandenberg, Paul Schreuder and Kay (Frank) Apotheker.