Ann Bernardine Nichols

Ann Bernardine Nichols of Florence passed away peacefully in the early morning hours on Tuesday, April 19, 2022. Ann was one of the kindest and most giving persons. She loved her family, friends, and the hundreds of students whose lives she touched while teaching for more than thirty years with Florence School District One. She taught special education at Theodore Lester Elementary School, West Florence High School, Sneed Middle School, Briggs Elementary School, and lastly at Southside Middle School. Ann was so happy with her Southside family who were wonderful to her, her family, her students and their parents. Ann was a lifelong member of St. Anthony Catholic Church in Florence. She graduated from Wilson High School and received her BA from Francis Marion College. She also received her BS in education from Coker College and achieved her National Teacher Certification. She received her Masters in Education from Cambridge College. She dedicated herself to helping to care for and educate profoundly disabled students in the public schools. She loved them all as her children. Ann was known for her beautiful voice which she shared with everyone. She was a skilled guitar player and songwriter in college. Ann later become a cantor with St Anthony Catholic Church where she brought joy to countless people with her voice at weddings, funerals or a regular Sunday mass, and sang with the Central United Methodist Church Choir.Ann also sang with the South Carolina Joint Services Detachment. Ann was also a dedicated member of Masterworks Choir. Her voice took her to Italy, France, Austria and Hungary with her Masterworks family. She loved every one of her fellow singers and so valued not only their voices, but their devotion and friendship. Memorials may be made to St. Anthony Catholic Church, 2536 Hoffmeyer Road, Florence, SC 29501 or to Masterworks Choir, PO Box 469, Florence, SC29503. Ann is survived by her mother, Ann Shannon Nichols of Florence; her sisters, Terry Shoemaker of Florence and Kathy Hewett of Asheville; her brother, George S. Nichols, III (Jenina) of Anderson; her twin brother, John S. Nichols (Michelle) of Columbia; her nephew, William T. “Toby” Nichols (Nichole) of Florence who she loved as her own; her nieces and nephews and grand nieces and nephews; her boyfriend, William Hope of Georgetown, and her loving next door neighbor, Linda Henry, who became part of the family. She was predeceased by her father, George S. Nichols, Jr. of Florence, and her brother William T. “Toby” Nichols (Tammy) of Florence. A rosary will be said at 5:30 pm Thursday followed by a Christian wake service and visitation with friends until 8:00 pm at Stoudenmire-Dowling Funeral Home. A Mass of Christian Burial will be said at 10:00 am Friday, April 22, 2022 at St. Anthony Catholic Church.Burial will follow in Mount Hope Cemetery. Please send messages to the family at the obituary section of www.stoudenmiredowling.com.