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Dr. Melvin Bond “Bubba” Nickles, Jr., died Thursday, Dec. 18, peacefully at his home in Hartsville. Born in Ware Shoals, S.C., on April 28, 1934, he was the son of the late Dr. Melvin Bond Nickles, Sr., and Delia Turner Nickles. Dr. Nickles was predeceased by his wife of nearly 57 years, Nancy Davis Nickles, and is survived by son Melvin Bond Nickles III and his wife Lynn, of Columbia; son William Alexander Nickles and his wife Mary, of Anderson; and five grandchildren, Jacqueline Blake Nickles and Mary McCallum Nickles, of Anderson; and Sarah Caroline Nickles, Davis Bond Nickles, and William McGirt Nickles, of Columbia. Dr. Nickles was a dedicated servant-leader to the community of Hartsville for more than 50 years, primarily as a family-practice physician but also in the fields of finance, church leadership, corporate and occupational medicine, and civic involvement. He treated hundreds of patients through the years, many of whom maintained their loyalty for the duration of his career, which began in 1964 and ended shortly before his death. He earned a reputation as a top-notch diagnostician, and his keen instincts and careful attention to patient symptoms enabled him to see beyond the results of the best medical machinery. Dr. Nickles’ long and varied medical career included a 28-year stint as Sonoco Products Company’s Medical Director, a contractual position charged with overseeing the medical affairs of Sonoco’s entire workforce worldwide. In addition to his contract work with Sonoco, he was the leading contract physician for most of the Hartsville area’s top employers, including Progress Energy, Stingray Boats, Talley Metals, A.O. Smith, MarMac Wire, the County of Darlington, the City of Hartsville, Darlington County School System, and others. Dr. Nickles attended Henry Laurens High School in Laurens, S.C., and compiled an excellent scholastic record that afforded him the opportunity to skip his senior year and enroll at Clemson University as a 17-year-old freshman. Despite multiple appeals to his high school after earning degrees from both Clemson and the Medical University of South Carolina, he never received a diploma or a certificate of achievement, and he delighted in his status as a self-proclaimed “high school dropout.” A proud member of Clemson’s Class of 1955, Dr. Nickles was one of only five in the school’s final all-military class to receive the honor of Distinguished Military Graduate. Company Commander of the Marching Band, he also was a member of the National Society of Scabard & Blade and earned membership into the Blue Key Honor Fraternity. He remained close to the University throughout his lifetime, which included service as a member of the Board of Visitors in 1984. He also was a longtime supporter of IPTAY, the University’s fundraising organization for athletics, and was a frequent and enthusiastic attendee of football games and other athletic events on campus. Dr. Nickles completed his formal medical education at MUSC and was President of the student body his final year, 1958-59. He served his residency in internal medicine there in 1963-64 and was a member of the school’s Board of Visitors in 1975. After medical school, Dr. Nickles served two years as a Captain in the U.S. Army’s Medical Corps at Fort McLellan, Ala. There, at Noble Army Hospital, he was named Chief of the Outpatient Department and received a Certificate of Achievement for Outstanding Service. A member of the Board of Directors of Hartsville’s First Carolina National Bank for 11 years, Dr. Nickles accepted an invitation to serve as the bank’s Interim President in 1981, a time of complex and turbulent movement in the banking industry. As part of his brief tenure, he led a delegation to Washington, D.C., where they were granted an audience with U.S. Sen. Strom Thurmond, who provided guidance in navigating through difficult regulatory issues. Among the other boards that Dr. Nickles served: Byerly Hospital (Trustee, 1978-82); Pee Dee Area Big Brothers of America (Director, 1977); S.C. DHEC Health Care Advisory Board (1974); Thomas Hart Academy (Director, 1976-80); South Carolina National Bank (Director, 1984-85); S.C. Department of Social Services (Commissioner, from 6th Congressional District, 1985-89); and Bank of America, Hartsville (Advisor, 1985-97). The Hartsville Rotary Club recognized him as its 2013 Citizen of the Year. Dr. Nickles enjoyed hunting and fishing of all kinds and was especially content among the company of fellow outdoorsmen. He was a gracious and lively host to the many guests who visited “the Barn,” an old tobacco barn he converted into a lakeside hunting lodge at the family farm in Brittons Neck, S.C. He was active in many conservation and wild-game organizations and was among the group that brought the first National Wild Turkey Federation chapter to South Carolina. An avid and skilled woodworker, Dr. Nickles crafted tables, shelves, picture frames and other pieces that are abundantly displayed in the family home. When a dear friend’s prize cherry tree was mistakenly cut down, he used a lathe to create a pair of candlesticks from the discarded wood and presented them to his friend. A descendant of a long line of Presbyterian ministers, Dr. Nickles held to this tradition of faith throughout his life and ensured that his family likewise would be so blessed. He served four terms of office as deacon and elder at Hartsville’s First Presbyterian Church and, just this fall, received the honor of Elder Emeritus. A memorial service will be held in Hartsville at 11 a.m. Saturday, Dec. 20, at the sanctuary of Hartsville’s First Presbyterian Church, 213 West Home Avenue. The Rev. Dr. Daniel N. Sansbury will officiate. The family will receive friends following the service in the church narthex, and private burial will take place in Marion County at 3 p.m. A message of condolence may be sent online via the Brown-Pennington-Atkins Funeral Home page, bpafuneralhome.net, or to the Nickles residence, 515 Dunlap Drive, Hartsville, SC, 29550. In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made to the following organizations: Clemson University Foundation (designated: Class of 1955 Clemson Corps Endowment), P.O. Box 1889, Clemson, S.C. 29633; National Wild Turkey Federation, P.O. Box 530, Edgefield, S.C. 29824; First Presbyterian Church, 213 West Home Avenue, Hartsville, S.C. 29550.

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Dr. Melvin Bond "Bubba" Nickles Jr.

April 28, 1934 - December 18, 2014