Coral Kay Nickila

Coral Kay Nickila, mother, grandmother, aunt, went to be with her Lord on Saturday, Feb. 20, 2010, at her residence in Long Beach, with her husband at her side. She was born on May 14, 1941, in Marion, Ohio, to Pastor H. S. (Pat) and Clare Murphy. The second of six children, she spent her adolescence in the Illinois, Wisconsin and Minnesota area graduating from Patrick Henry High School in Minneapolis, Minn., and then continuing her education at Moody Bible Institute, Chicago, Ill. In 1967 she and Bill Nickila were married. They lived in Minneapolis, Minn., where they began to raise a family. In 1985 they moved to the Pacific Northwest - Mrs. Nickila went first to Bellevue, then upon her husband's retirement in 1996 moved to Long Beach. C She kept busy serving Meals-on-Wheels for PACE; was a resident activity helper at Ocean View Convalescent Center; worked in the thrift store for His; and of course doing the work of the Lord with the children of the Ocean Park Community Church and Grace Family Fellowship. Besides raising her family, she could always be depended on to reach out to those in need, whether as a Sunday School teacher, working in the church nursery, feeding hungry children, delivering meals, working with adults in nursing homes, searching out the children of families in need to give birthday and Christmas gifts, working in thrift stores to help finance free hot meals for the hungry and on and on. Wife of her husband, mother to her family, caregiver to the handicapped, friend to the less fortunate, she will be missed. In addition to her husband, Bill, survivors include daughters, Nikki (Chris) Allen of Santa Monica, Calif., and Jackie (Thomas) Van Nuys of Anderson Island; sons, Bill (Michelle) Nickila II of Kent and Kevin Nickila also of Kent; four grandsons, Parker, Jack, Sam, Wyatt; a granddaughter, Bradi; her mother Clara Murphy of Monticello, Minn.; sisters, Sharon (Stan) Cox of Canada, Colleen (Frank) Clark of California, Kathy (Richard) Meehan of Minnesota; and a brother Scott (Cathy) Murphy of Florida. A family graveside service was held 11:15 AM, Feb. 19, at Tahoma National Cemetery, in Kent and a "Going Home Celebration" was held 11:00 AM Saturday, Feb. 20, at the Ocean Park Community Church, Ocean Park, WA.