Revered, long-time faculty member, Dr. Jack Nicholls, passed away earlier this summer (July 2, 2025) at the age of 93. He is survived by his devoted and loving wife Irene, daughters Kathy, Tania and Tamara and son Mike, plus several grandchildren.
Dr. Nicholls was a devoted family man whose greatest joy came from the time he spent with those he loved. Whether it was gathering around the table for Sunday night pizza, relaxing on weekends at Camano Island or creating lasting memories on family vacations to Kauai, he cherished every moment together. He also loved being outdoors—fishing and crabbing on Camano were among his favorite pastimes. Teaching was another passion; whether he was helping a grandchild through a tricky math problem or guiding one of his graduate students, he had a gift for making learning meaningful. He truly could do it all, and his warmth, dedication and joy will always be remembered.
Dr. Nicholls initial academic appointment (1965) was as Assistant Professor in Civil Engineering at the University of Washington. Given the need for graduate prosthodontics student research support, he was recruited to the UW Department of Restorative Dentistry in 1973 and appointed as Associate Professor. In 1979, Dr. Nicholls was promoted to Professor, and he retired from the University in 2004 after 31 years in the School of Dentistry.
During that time, Dr. Nicholls was in great demand as a research mentor to faculty and graduate students. He was also an effective course director, for which he received multiple outstanding teacher awards. Dr. Nicholls authored and co-authored more than 100 peer-reviewed publications, with nearly half appearing in the Journal of Prosthetic Dentistry. These publications have been cited over 6000 times.
As impressive as these statistics are, they only tell part of the story of Dr. Nicholl’s impact in academia. In addition to providing critical research guidance to graduate prosthodontics, orthodontics and endodontic students over 30 years, Dr. Nicholls was beloved by many for his kindness and care. He was always available to discuss personal issues with students. He maintained an open-door policy and welcomed all with a big smile. This made him the ideal and complete mentor.
Contributed by Dr. Glen Johnson
Below are reflections on Dr. Nicholls, sent by former graduate prosthodontic students that paint the picture of a gentleman-academician, who made a big difference in many students’ lives.
Philippe Khayat (UW Grad Pros 1983)
In the program’s Trinity, Jack was the holy spirit. Always ready to listen to us, always ready to help us, to get us back on track. His office, crumbling under books, folders, strange little machines, was an island, a safe place. He helped many students go through difficult times. He was not just a research director, his manners, his kindness, his intelligence, his wit made him someone very special. We all liked him. As for me, I was always greeted with a “Bonjour Monsieur, comment allez-vous?” This was said with a spark in the eyes that meant “keep cool Philippe, we will get it done, well done, and it will be fun”. Thank you Jack!
Keson Tan (UW Grad Pros 1989)
Jack was truly a giant in the field. He brought engineering principles and science to the biomechanical aspects of dentistry and succeeded in dispelling many clinical dogmas. Through his research leadership and mentorship at the UW Dental School, he worked with generations of colleagues and graduate students to scrutinize a multitude of myriad clinical questions and illuminate them with core principles, resulting in fundamentally influencing the actual practice of Dentistry world-wide.
The epitome of a true gentleman, Jack was respected by all who came into contact with him, and ALL the graduates of the program have the upmost respect for the man. From his ability to nourish the genesis of a research question, to gently nudging it into an answerable form, to fleshing out the practicalities of a precise testing jig with unmatched inventiveness and ingenuity, to the generation of high quality data, and then onto the interpretation and articulating the clinical applicability of the data, he inspired and trained the critical thinking of many a graduate student. Brilliant, and yet truly humble with a genuine human touch, he always stopped by the Graduate Lab in the evenings to check in on us on his way out.
We will always cherish the memories of Jack and his impact on us ALL as a role model. His Legacy is lives on in so many ways, not only in his lasting reputation, but also in the enduring international standing of UW Graduate Prosthodontics.
Bob Simon (UW Grad Pros 1976)
Jack Nicholls was a number cruncher without peers. I recall his computer (circa 1978) was larger than a highboy dresser. His technical guidance was critical to understanding the use of measuring devices in all three planes of space. However, the tedium was daunting. I clearly remember recording numbers for the z-axis on the ninth floor then going to a dimly lit room in the basement to determine the numbers for the x- and y-axes of my test mounting all on a perfect spring Saturday.
Warren Libman (UW Grad Pros 1987)
I was sad to hear of Jack’s passing. I really enjoyed Jack as a research mentor on my project, and we were on other committees together as well. He always seemed to be in a good mood and was very fun to be around. My vivid memory of Jack was when we were on upper campus in the engineering machine shop. That’s when he was really at home; designing parts and using those milling machines was like watching poetry in motion. He added so much to my education and my experience and I will forever remember him.
Alex Shor (UW Grad Pros 1997)
I was deeply saddened to hear of the passing of my mentor, Dr. Jack Nicholls. As an engineer with a brilliant mind, Jack had unique insights that shaped how I see prosthodontics. What I’ll remember most is his kindness, patience, and sense of humor. Learning from him was always inspiring, and I feel fortunate to have had his guidance and friendship .
Kavita Shor (UW Grad Pros 1997)
It was sad to hear of the passing of Dr. Nicholls. I will always remember Dr. Nicholls as a kind-hearted person and a gentleman. He was a great teacher and took the time to know each of us not only as his student mentees but also as individuals.
David Bridger (UW Grad Pros 1977)
There were many very talented and knowledgeable instructors in the Grad Program at that time who certainly challenged our limitations, but in a very positive way. Jack Nichols was one of them and I had a great relationship with Jack. He was so easy to work with and his door was always open. Jack supported me whole heartedly to complete my research and get it published in order to obtain the ‘Masters’ while I was doing overtime halfway into 3rd. year. If it hadn’t been for Jack it would definitely have been a different story.
Roger Harper (UW Grad Pros 1975)
Like most graduate students, I had no idea about dental research, but with the help of the grad literature review course and Jack, I made a venture into a new realm. Jack’s guidance and expertise in developing my idea for a research project were invaluable in the entire process. He took my fledgling idea and guided me to an excellent result. When I deviated from the course, he expertly guided me back in direction. I give the entire credit for my research and publication to Jack. He was not only a great mentor but became a great friend.
Stefano Gracis (UW Grad Pros 1987)
When I met Jack shortly after arriving at the UW, I was fascinated by this gentleman born in a country that was literally on the other side of the world relative to my home country Italy, a place that at the time I thought was inhabited almost only by sheep. He appeared to me a bit like an alien, but it didn’t take long before I realized that this biomechanical engineer dedicated to dentistry was going to have a very positive impact on my professional life. He had charisma, he was always welcoming, optimistic in nature and genuinely interested in knowing the people around him. He had the gift of making complicated things appear simple and understandable even by people with little or no knowledge of engineering! I consider myself fortunate to have had him as my mentor in the master’s research project. Thank you, Jack. Your smile will always accompany me.