John Thomas Nickle

May 30, 1936 – Nov. 29, 2025 

It is with great sadness and heavy hearts that we announce the passing of John Thomas Nickle, 89, who departed this life peacefully and was sent to his eternal home on November 29, 2025. 

John was born on May 30, 1936, in Washington, D.C., to Karl Nickle and Irene Nickle. He grew up in various places, including Virginia, Arkansas and Texas.  

“John T.,” as he was affectionately known by friends and family, made a profound impact on the people who had the privilege of knowing him and the community where he lived. His journey on this earth was one marked by love for his family, faith, hard work, compassion for people, friendship and community pride. 

He served in the United States Army and was deployed to Korea. He was honorably discharged in August of 1959. He attended Mississippi State University in Starkville, Mississippi, and earned a bachelor’s degree in government and a minor in history. He played baseball at Mississippi State and graduated in 1963.

While at college, John met Lynda Lewis, who was attending Millsaps College in Jackson, Mississippi. He married Lynda on June 4, 1960. 

 Shortly after graduation, he told Lynda to pack up the kids, Ray and Terry, and all of their belongings because they were moving to Lovell. He arrived in Lovell in 1963. He had taken a surveying job to help finish the town water and sewer projects in Lovell. He lived with his family for a short time in Cody and Basin before returning to Lovell full time in 1966 when he was hired as the town manager. 

He worked as the Lovell town manager for seven years and then started Lovell Cable TV in 1973, building Lovell’s first cable TV system from scratch. John and Lynda ran the Lovell Cable TV business until they retired and sold it in 2005. Lovell Cable TV helped provide modern telecommunications capability to Lovell schools. Additionally, Lovell Cable TV was able to carry audio coverage of Lovell Bulldogs sporting events. 

He served eight years on the Lovell town council and for six years as the mayor of Lovell. He served on the Lovell Area Chamber of Commerce board for nine years, including a year as president. He served 12 years on the Wyoming Association of Municipalities board, including as president for 6½ years. He served as the vice president and president of the Shoshone Municipal Pipeline Joint Powers Board and was instrumental in the construction of the water system. He served on the board of the Big Horn Canyon Natural History Association, including time as president. 

He was involved in various economic development activities at the local and state level. He was appointed by the governor of Wyoming to serve on the Wyoming Economic Development and Stabilization Board. He was active in the Lovell United Methodist Church. He was selected to be the Big Horn County Fair parade marshal. He was honored as the Lovell Area Chamber of Commerce Citizen of the Year in 2002 and Masons’ Citizen of the Year in 2008. 

He was involved in numerous community activities and helped raise money for various community related causes/programs. He helped start the Lovell barbecue crew. He was a founding member of the Pryor Mountain Wild Horse Association and was instrumental in the preservation of the Pryor Mountain Wild Horse Range and in building the Pryor Mountain Wild Mustang Center. After they sold Lovell Cable TV in 2005, John and Lynda ran the Pryor Mountain Wild Mustang Center until Lynda died on September 4, 2020. 

John loved being outdoors. His hobbies included hunting, fast pitch softball, fishing, golf, riding horses, cooking (grilling), photography, collecting arrowheads, sports and his family. John and Lynda loved being grandparents, and Nicole and John Michael spent many summers with their grandparents in Lovell. 

John Nickle stated that his father instilled in him the desire to make improvements in circumstances and leave things better than they were before. He stated that it was the driving force behind him to provide community service and make wherever he was a better place for people to live. That is exactly what John and Lynda did for Lovell. They poured their sweat, love and tears into that community and made it better than it was before they came. 

He was preceded in death by his loving wife, Lynda Nickle, and both of his parents. 

John is survived by his son, Ray (Sharon) Nickle, of Jonesboro, Arkansas; daughter Terry Hudspeth of Porter, Texas; grandchildren Nicole (Jeremy), John Michael and Greg (Whitney); great-granddaughter Sloane; and brothers Robert (Melinda) Nickle, Charles (Pam) Nickle and Frank (Linda) Nickle.