CHAMPAIGN — Marilyn J. Nichols, 83, of Champaign owner of the former Money Matters, Inc., died of natural causes at home on Wednesday (Feb. 23, 2022).
A memorial service will be held at a later date.
Mrs. Nichols was born in New Brunswick, N.J., the daughter of Wilfrid J. and Mabel Mott Jackson. She married David C. Nichols on Feb. 21, 1962. He died April 28, 1993.
Surviving are her daughter, Deborah K. Hannan (Tim), CPA of Hinckley; brother, Charles W. Jackson (Sandie) of Canada; stepson, Michael F. Nichols (Tari) of Minnesota; two grandchildren, Katherine Skov (Erik), a studio art and accounting major on the dean’s list at North Central College, Naperville, and now a CPA, and Daniel D. Hannan (April), an honors student in the accounting program at Northern Illinois University at DeKalb, also a CPA; her great-grandson, Everett Skov; two nieces, Linda Mitchell (Bill) of Longboat Key, Fla., and Ocean City, N.J., and Laura Novia (Fred) of Raleigh, N.C.; as well as two stepgrandchildren, Leah and Laura, and two stepgreat-grandchildren.
She was preceded in death by her parents.
Mrs. Nichols was a 1959 graduate of Oberlin College, Oberlin, Ohio. She was the first financial planner to open a practice in the Champaign-Urbana area, opening the Money Matters, Inc. office in 1975. She earned her Certified Financial Planner (CFP) designation and taught classes in financial planning at Parkland College and elsewhere. She also taught seminars for banks and other institutions around the country. She spoke at the UI Retirement Seminar for a number of years and was a regular on the morning Focus 580 program on WILL-AM. She believed it was important for women to understand all aspects of money management and, to that end, published “The Woman’s Guide to Financial Planning” in 1978.
In retirement, Mrs. Nichols did volunteer work with the University YWCA, Project Read and the Illinois Radio Reader. She mentored a number of Korean graduate students and tutored them in English grammar and conversation. Her many interests included attending musical events at Krannert Center, regularly attending OLLI courses and keeping current in interior design, politics and gardening. She read history with particular emphasis on the history of the British Isles. She particularly enjoyed time spent with friends and family. Her grandchildren were her special joy, and she loved her newest role as GG to her great-grandson, Everett.
Memorial contributions may be made to the Krannert Center in Marilyn’s name. Condolences may be offered at owensfuneralhomes.com.
