I would like to honor the memory of one of my very first clients. A client who stuck with me from the time I started my company, until I had to close it 22 years later in 2008, Mr. Bud Nicolay. A few days ago, Bud passed on from this life, and the wonderful memories of him have been flooding back. Bud was always a gentleman and such a loving husband to his wife Betty. In all of the years that I knew him, he never uttered a cross word to me, even when a project ran into unexpected issues and costs. He was always a steady, calm and strong man. He would work with me on the technical details of the project and, once satisfied with the scope, Betty would take the reigns. Lynn and I cut their lawn every week and our relationship grew from there. Their patio was the first large brick paver/staircase project that I had ever designed and built. They both encouraged me by hiring me to build it and then allowed me the creative freedom to build it the way that I thought would look and function best. Looking back, after completing this project, I was encouraged and confident enough to take my business further in this direction. I think Bud would have been fine with the existing landscape, but the yard and garden were Betty's domain. We planted shrubs and trees, built numerous walls, handled drainage problems and maintained the yard year round. As we get older, many memories fade, but this one remains a clear and beautiful memory for me. Betty insisted that Lynn and I use their swimming pool while they were out of town. I can still see my wife Lynn swimming with our daughter Brittney and our son Will (maybe 24-25 years ago), having a great time. Betty and Bud have been an excellent example of a strong, gentle, caring and loving marriage. I was always impressed with the great sense of humor that they shared. Their Godly example helped me mature in my relationship with my wife and strengthened our marriage as a result. My thoughts and prayers go out to Betty and the extended Nicolay family. Bud, you will be greatly missed. Thank you for being such a wonderful example of a Godly man. I will always be grateful that our paths crossed.
Memories
Patrick Donnelly