Dale Nicholas, 78, passed away peacefully with her family at her hospital bedside on January 5, 2023, after fighting bravely through a month of illness. Dale was born in Somers Point on May 8, 1944, grew up in Ocean City, and raised her family in Philadelphia and Bensalem, Pennsylvania alongside her loving husband Donald with whom she shared 42 years of marriage.
Dale’s career focused on helping others. She worked in the social work and crisis intervention fields in various settings including mental health centers and hospitals. Dale found her home working for Bucks County as the first CASSP (Child and Adolescent Social Service Program) Director. She was a champion for children with disabilities, behavioral health needs and victims of abuse. She developed the LIFE program (serving children with emotional, learning or social issues), which was considered one of the top innovative and groundbreaking model programs in the state. In addition to writing and receiving grants for Bucks County Children’s Services, she was a key administrator for programs such as Building a Better Bensalem Together, and Truancy Prevention.
After many years of working in Pennsylvania and spending weekends and summers in Ocean City, Dale and her husband Donald moved to Ocean City permanently upon retirement. Ocean City residents will remember Dale through her volunteer work with the Clothes Closet, Moms Demand Action, Ocean City Citizen Corp (CERT) and the Lifesaving Station. Dale was also involved with the Companions of Pauline and local politics, and enjoyed her book club. She loved her Saturday night dinner outings with her dear friends which usually ended in some sort of fun mayhem. Dale’s favorite time was sitting at 2nd Street Beach with her friends, children, and grandchildren. Dale’s friends and family will remember her fondness for telling stories and always offering advice or assistance.
Dale is survived by her daughters, Donnamarie (Chris) Hehn, Cyndie (Jim) Bowman, and Johanna (Kristian) Uggla; grandchildren, Katie (Mike) Giroud, Nikki Hehn, Andrew Bowman, Ethan Bowman, Grace Bowman, Sami Uggla and Spencer Uggla; great-grandchildren, Connor Giroud and Tyler Giroud, and many nieces and nephews. She was “Grandma Dale” to most she encountered, young and old, as people found her easy to love and she made them feel like family. She is predeceased by beloved husband Donald Nicholas, parents Charles and Alma Kretschmar, and sister Helen Colby.
Dale will be honored at a service on Saturday, January 14, at Godfrey Funeral Home, 644 South Shore Rd, Palermo, NJ 08223. Visitation with the family will be 10 – 11 a.m. and service will begin at 11 a.m. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to U.S Life Saving Station 30, P.O. Box 604, Ocean City, NJ 08226 (https://uslifesavingstation30.com/) or Moms Demand Action (https://momsdemandaction.org/).
