Muriel Nichols Colchester, VT Muriel (McCausland) Nichols, 91 passed away on Friday August 12, 2011 at Fletcher Allen Health Care in Burlington, Vermont. She was born on April 23, 1920 in Scarva, Northern Ireland to the late Charles and Caroline (Martin) McCausland. As a young girl, she lived with her mother, her brother Charles, and her grandmother, Sara Jane Martin, and eventually followed her father to the United States at age eleven passing through Ellis Island, NY. Along with her family, she lived in New York City and Long Island until she attended Hofstra University. During World War II, she worked as a government liaison to Republic Aircraft in Farmingdale, NY where the famous P-47 Thunderbolt fighter aircraft was manufactured. After the war, she joined the newly created United Nations - then headquartered in Lake Success, NY. There, she met her husband Josef. They were married in January of 1947. In 1952 they moved to Bronxville, New York where they lived until retirement. In addition to being a homemaker and mother of three children, Muriel worked as a church secretary at West Center Church in Cedar Knolls, and at IBM in White Plains, NY. With her husband being an executive at the United Nations, her life included a great deal of European travel. Every two years, she and her family would spend three summer months traveling to almost every European country. When her husband retired from the U.N. in 1980, they purchased a residence in Ormond Beach, Florida where they lived together until his death in 1982. After his death, she remained in Florida, became a licensed real estate agent with Adams Cameron Real Estate, and took college courses at Stetson University. She also spent time living with her daughter Nancy in Colorado, her daughter Eileen in Scottsdale, Arizona, and with her son John in Colchester, Vermont. In the latter years of her life, she struggled with various medical ailments including cancer, but she had an amazingly strong will to live. In fact, at the age of 85, she had complicated surgery to remove her esophagus and form a new esophagus from her stomach tissue. She was the oldest living person in the US to successfully have this procedure. In many ways, Muriel was “way ahead of her time.” For someone born in 1920, she had a very open mind, she read voraciously, she ate healthy foods, kept herself in shape through walking, she gardened, and she loved meeting people and talking – and talking – and talking. She loved talking on the phone and would spend hours discussing books by John Edwards and Sylvia Brown about the “afterlife.” Through her husband’s role at the U.N., Muriel was fortunate to meet some very interesting and influential people. She was personal friends with Eleanor Roosevelt, she met several U.S. Presidents, numerous U.N. Ambassadors and Delegates including then Ambassador George W. Bush, Pope John Paul II, U.N. Secretary Generals including Trygve Lie, Dag Hammarskjold, U Thant, Kurt Waldheim, and many others. Despite being in the circle of international civil servants, Muriel devoted her life to her children. She was always there to listen, offer advice, and contribute to their lives. She will be greatly missed. She is survived by a son, John Nichols of Colchester; two daughters, Eileen and her husband Jeffrey Crosby, M.D. of Scottsdale and Payson, Arizona; and Nancy Brooks of Colorado; a sister-in-law Shirley McCausland of Mt. Tremper, NY; two grandchildren, Christine Chiaravalle of South Burlington and Ashley Brooks of Colorado; a great grandchild Brianna Chiaravalle of South Burlington; her nieces and nephews, Jeff McCausland and wife Ann of PA; James McCausland and George Volpe of NY; Kate McCausland-Toal and husband Tommy of NY; Carol McCausland and Karen Guftavsen of CA. She was also predeceased by her husband Josef Nichols and her brother Charles McCausland. Visiting hours will be held on Tuesday August 16, 2011 from 5:00 p.m. until the time of the service at 7:00 p.m. at A. W. Rich Funeral Home – Essex Chapel. Memorial contributions in Muriel’s memory may be made to: Mahana Magic Foundation, PO Box 64700 Burlington, VT 05406 supporting children with a parent with cancer. Arrangements are by John D. Workman, A. W. Rich Funeral Home – Essex Chapel, 57 Main Street, Essex Jct., VT 05452. The family invites you to view further information and share your memories by visiting www.awrichfuneralhomes.com.