Harry W. Nicodemus, 80, passed away at home on March 17, 2023 following a brief illness.  Born in Holyoke to the late Harry and Rita Nicodemus, he was a lifelong resident of Chicopee and South Hadley Falls.  He was a member of the class of 1960 at South Hadley High School, where he was a varsity athlete on the football and basketball teams and captained the baseball team as their catcher.  Harry was a proud veteran of the U.S. Navy and served as boiler tender on the USS Fred T. Berry and the USS Cascade with the rank of fireman.  While they were both in the Navy he met his wife, Bessie, and they had 52 loving years of marriage together.  He had a 32 year career as a truck driver, followed by a retirement filled with enjoying his children and grandchildren and cheering on his Red Sox, Patriots, Bruins, and Celtics.  Harry loved to tend to his beautiful gardens, and he could be found outside most of the day almost every day working hard to take care of all of his plants and giving out tomatoes to his family, neighbors, and passerby right up until the last months of his life.  Harry's heart, his wisdom, and his fierce love and loyalty will never be replaced, but he leaves his family and friends stronger from having him in their lives, and so grateful and so proud to have known him.

He leaves his wife, Bessie (Cummins) Nicodemus, his daughters Tina Nicodemus, Lori Germain and her partner Sean Carrell, Kari Champagne and her husband Alan Champagne, Rachel Nicodemus and her partner Mark Salvi; his grandchildren Michael Germain Jr, Emily Germain, Caitlin Lamparelli, Joseph Trombley, Morgan Trombley, Rosanna Aiello, Christina Douglass, Stephanie Douglass, and his great-grandson Gray Cruz.  He also leaves his siblings Sandra and Donald Wilkins, David Nicodemus, Charlene and Mark Schmitter, and brother in law John Cummins and his wife Suzanne, as well as many much loved nieces and nephews.  He was predeceased by his sister Elaine Cardinal.  Calling hours will be held at O'Brien Family Funeral Home in South Hadley on Monday March 27 from 10:30am to 12:30pm, followed by a service at the funeral home and then burial at the Veterans Cemetery in Agawam at 2pm.  Harry's family would like to thank his VNA nurse, Andrea, and his Hospice nurse, Diane, for the comfort given to him and his family.  Memorial donations may be made to the Spectrum VNA and Hospice. For more information or to make online condolences please go to obrienfamilyfh.com.