Judy Kay Reynolds Nichols, 81, of Sherman, Texas, left this world to be with her Savior on

September 23, 2026, in Milan, Tennessee.

Judy was born Aug. 20, 1945, in Lynch, Nebraska, to Earl John and Evelyn Reynolds. She

graduated from Niobrara High School in 1963 and became a licensed cosmetologist after

graduating from Ben School of Beauty in 1964.

Judy began her career working in several salons, including a parlor on a U.S. Air Force base in

Florida. In 1965, she opened her own salon in Sherman. After 12 years in the beauty industry,

Judy worked for Texas Instruments for seven years. She later became a stay-at-home mother,

devoting herself to raising her children while continuing to share her talents and expertise in

cosmetology with other women.

Caring for others was not simply something Judy did; it was part of who she was. From

childhood and throughout her life, she had a natural instinct to protect, provide, and care for

others. She extended that love not only to her immediate and extended family, but also to those

entrusted to her care. Later in life, Judy cared for the four children of Dr. David Osterman and

wife Kiki of Sherman, loving them as though they were her own.

Judy loved music and often sang in the church choir. She also played the saxophone entirely by

ear. She once surprised her music teacher by revealing that she could not read music; she simply

knew how to play.

On July 4, 2004, Judy married Darrell L. Nichols. They shared more than 13 years of marriage

before his death March 31, 2018. Through their marriage, Judy embraced Darrell's children,

grandchildren, and great-grandchildren as part of her own family.

Judy was known for her wonderful sense of humor and for being the life of every party. She had

a gift for making people laugh, a gift she maintained until the very end. Even through difficult

times, she rarely complained. Her humor, warmth, and joy made her a treasured presence in the

lives of her family, friends, and all those fortunate enough to know her, including her caregiver,

Karen Connor, who loved and cared for her well.

Judy was preceded in death by her parents, Earl John and Evelyn Reynolds; her husband, Darrell

L. Nichols; and her sister, Patricia Ann Bergtold.

She is survived by her brother, Jerry Reynolds, and his wife, Mary, of Bells, TX; Judy's son,

Shannon Smith, and his wife, Geri, of Sherman, TX, and his sons, Matthew and Devon; as well

as her daughter, Christina Shupert, and her husband, Keith, of Milan, TN, and their daughters,

Brooke and Kailey.

She is also survived by Darrell's children, Lori Nichols and Darrell Christopher Nichols, five

grandchildren, seven great-grandchildren, and is preceded in death by

Darrell's son, Douglas Lane Nichols.

We will miss her greatly, but we do not grieve as those who have no hope, but have put our trust

in Christ and will see her again one day.

Private family services will be held at Sherman, TX at a later date.