Charles Edward Nichols

Nichols

May 26, 1971 – October 31, 2025

Charles Edward Nichols was an American artist, inventor and craftsman whose creativity, versatility, and technical skill left an enduring mark on every community he touched. Gifted in both the arts and trades, Charles developed a reputation for innovative problem-solving and meticulous craftsmanship. His inventive abilities led him to design a system for the Eastman Kodak Company; he later served as a lead welder at Jet Sets in Burbank, California, where he contributed to props and set pieces for projects involving Steven Spielberg, Britney Spears, and various productions at Universal Studios.

A natural artisan, Charles excelled in woodworking. He once crafted a Viking-style chest to transport his tools to studio jobs, a project that reflected both his practicality and imagination. His collaboration with his mother on medieval reproduction furniture ultimately led actor Henry Thomas (best known for his role as Elliott in Steven Spielberg’s 1982 film E.T.) to commission Charles to build a custom medieval bed. Over time, Charles’s wide-ranging abilities revealed him to be a true polymath. His skills expanded to include printing, and he frequently assisted his mother by printing her artwork.

Charles was born to Londa Finkel at Marietta Memorial Hospital in Marietta, Ohio. Due to difficult circumstances, he was placed for adoption and welcomed into the home of Charles and Elaine Nichols of Waterford, Ohio. After Elaine’s passing when he was ten, Charles and Elaine’s mother, Thelma Hopkins, continued to raise him on the family farm. In 2002, while living in Sherman Oaks, California, Londa located her son. Charles chose to join her in California, where he built a meaningful and creative life. Londa later relocated to North Carolina, and Charles eventually settled in Asheboro, North Carolina, where he spent his final years.

Charles was cremated on November 17, 2025, and his remains rest with his mother.

He is survived by his mother, Londa Rae Finkel Marks; his former wife, Rainnie Nichols; their sons, T.J. Nichols and Justin Nichols; and close friend, Danae Fierro.

He will be remembered for his talent, curiosity, and the many beautiful works he left behind.