Funeral arrangements have now been set for former Wynne mayor Paul Nichols. Nichols died Feb. 14, 2024, in Iuka, Miss., at age 78. Nichols was born in Corinth, Miss., and was a 1968 graduate of Mississippi State University. He earned in teaching certificate in June 1968. He married Patricia Thorne on Dec. 23 of that year, and the two relocated to Wynne.
Nichols began his teaching career in Wynne in the summer of 1968, teaching industrial arts. He obtained a Master of Education degree from the University of Arkansas a decade later and taught cooperative education until he retired from the Wynne School District in 1999.
Nichols served for 12 years on the Wynne City Council before serving as Mayor of Wynne from 1999 to 2011. He was well-recognized for his service to the community, receiving the Marvin Vinson Commitment to Excellence Award from the Arkansas Municipal League.
Nichols resigned as mayor in July 2011, citing health concerns and returning to his hometown of Iuka, Miss.
Bob Stacy, who succeeded Nichols as mayor, said Nichols meant a lot to the city.
“His whole life was in education of some type,” Stacy said.
Stacy said he first worked with Nichols while Stacy was a member of the Cross County Quorum Court.
“He was tough,” Stacy recalled. “I enjoyed working with him as mayor. The one thing I liked about Paul. You didn’t have to worry about what he thought. He was going to tell you. I appreciated politicians like that. He was a good one. He was a great asset to the city.”
Stacy added that despite no longer living in Wynne, Nichols always made himself available to the new mayor whenever questions arose.
Wynne City Hall noted Nichols’ passing on social media stating he “leaves behind a profound impact on our city and his nearly 25 years of service to our community will be forever remembered. Our thoughts and prayers are with the Nichols family.”
Many others also took to social media to share their memories of Nichols as both a community leader and a teacher.
“He was a great mentor to me at Wynne High School,” wrote Christi Grant. “No matter what my mood was that day, he always greeted me with a smile on his face and some nickname he had for each of us in our co-op class.”
Nichols is survived by his wife, Pat; daughter, Amy; and many other family members and friends.
A memorial service will be held at 2 p.m. Saturday, March 2, at Iuka Baptist Church, 105 W. Eastport Street in Iuka. Burial will be in Oak Grove Cemetery in Iuka, Miss.
Memorial may be made to Iuka Baptist Church, or Wynne Baptist Church, 1200 E. Bridges Ave. in Wynne.
A full obituary is available here.
