William Michael Nichols Service Information

William Michael Nichols (Mike) of Yardley, PA, died peacefully on Sunday, May 17, 2020 after a long struggle with cancer. Mike was born in Hanover, NH and was 71 years old.

Mike was the beloved husband of Beth Ann Mary Sarsfield. The couple shared 19 years of a loving marriage. Mike is also survived by his children Christina Hahner and Abigail May, and their husbands Douglas Hahner and Daniel May; three grandchildren, Owen Hahner, Dylan Hahner and Noah May; his sister Mary Ann Knight, his brother-in-law Joshua Knight III, and his mother-in-law, Mary Elizabeth Sarsfield. Mike was predeceased by his late wife, Nancy (Ryan) Nichols, who he missed deeply. Mike was also predeceased by his parents, William and Katherine (Gage) Nichols.

Mike’s family was most important to him. He was a constant source of emotional support, fun, and help to his family. Though he gave his children, Tina and Abby, the freedom to use their wings, he was there for them, always loving, caring, and a being a spirit of refuge. He did everything he could to make his wife’s, Beth’s, life fun and loving. He extended that love to his mother-in-law, often by telling her stories and explaining medical information. He loved his sister, Mary Ann, and trusted her in everything. And he was proud of his whole family, including grandchildren and sons-in-law, brother-in-law, and distant relatives. He often told friends about their greatness through stories of their adventures.

 Mike was a chemist in the pharmaceutical industry for about 45 years. He worked mostly at Bristol-Myers Squibb and Pfizer, and retired from both Johnson & Johnson and Pfizer, which he followed with a successful consulting career. His creativity will be missed, as he has over 60 products on the market, including many well-known brands such as Excedrin, Benadryl, Sudafed, and Little Fevers. Mike was always glad that the new technologies he added to products made them better and helped people. His favorite invention, which he patented, was adding ingredients to tablets that inhibited illicit drug manufacturers from using normal products like Sudafed to make amphetamines. Mike was known as a teacher at work because he loved to help people think through hard problems.

Mike’s friends were very important to him. He was well-loved in every neighborhood he lived in, making friends easily and caring for each of their lives. Mike had a few close friends who he cared for greatly. Some of these friendships lasted from high school, while others only for fifteen years or so. He regaled his friends with stories and facts, and was always ready to listen and to help.

Music was a big part of Mike’s life. He enjoyed many genres, and brought his daughters to music festivals when they were younger. Mike and Beth often sang together in the car. Mike relaxed by singing in choirs, including church choirs in every church he belonged to, and The Centennial Singers, a community choir in Bucks County, PA. He had a special love for the Shaker hymn “Simple Gifts”.

A memorial service will be held when travel is easily possible again. Memorial contributions may be made in Mike’s name to Pennington Presbyterian Church, 13 S. Main St., Pennington, NJ, 08534, where he last sang in a church choir, and to Saint Mary Medical Center Philanthropy, 1207 Langhorne-Newtown Rd., Langhorne, PA, 19047.

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