January 12, 1937 - July 25, 2025
Charles (Charley) Franklin Nicholson was born Jan. 12, 1937, in Muskogee, to Harold Franklin and Freddie Lahoma Nicholson. He departed this life July 25, 2025, at the age of 88.
On July 22, 1960, Charley Nicholson and Sharon Scott were united in marriage. From this union were born two daughters, Leisa and Teresa.
Charley accepted Christ at the young age of 6, at the Baptist Church in Wagoner, Oklahoma.
He was a long-time member and served as deacon at First Baptist Church of Bristow.
He was a 1955 graduate from Checotah High School. He was a natural athlete competing in basketball, football, tennis, and was a member of a bowling league.
His parents being both teachers, plus his dad being a coach, noticed his abilities and signed him up for tennis tournaments around the state at a very young age. Many times, sending him off on his own to tournaments. Charley even told stories of hitchhiking to Oklahoma City to make a tournament. As a young boy he was ranked #1 in Oklahoma in the 15 and under tennis singles rankings. He and his doubles partner were ranked #3 in the Midwest Doubles rankings. In 1955 he became an Oklahoma State Tennis Singles Champion.
He was awarded a basketball and tennis scholarship to Northeastern A&M in Miami, where he played for one year. He attended OSU in Stillwater for one year, and in 1957 transferred to Northeastern State University to play on the NSU tennis team. In 1960 he graduated from NSU with a Bachelor of Science in Education, with a minor in Science and Math. Upon graduation, he began his teaching and coaching career at Edna, Kansas. Later teaching and coaching at Okay, Inola, and Porter before making his way to teach and coach in Bristow in the Fall of 1967.
He was hired to teach 9th grade Physical Science, be the head coach for the boys basketball team, and also be an assistant football coach.
In 1971, he juggled raising his girls, teaching and coaching to attend Central State University in Edmond, Oklahoma where he completed a Master Degree of Education.
In 1973, he was asked to begin the girls’ basketball program, where he coached all grades (7th, 8th, 9th, JV and Varsity) and taught them to play 6 on 6 half court basketball.
Over the years in Bristow, he also taught many students Driver’s Ed, and coached tennis, and track. Towards the end of his career at Bristow Public Schools he became athletic director.
After 23 years teaching and coaching at Bristow Public Schools he retired in 1990.
He made an impact on many of his students he taught and coached, with many of them staying in touch over the years and telling him so, which always warmed his heart. Many of his students called him Coach Nick or Coach Puke and it never got old for him.