Talitha Joy Nichols

Talitha Joy Nichols was born on December 27, 1971, in Lawton, Oklahoma. Her parents were Barbara Ann Dyke and Howard Loy Dyke. Talitha attended Walters public schools and graduated from Walters High School in 1990. After high school, she attended Oklahoma Baptist University in Shawnee before transferring to the University of Oklahoma where she received her Doctorate in Pharmacy.

While attending school at the University of Oklahoma, Talitha worked in the Law Library where she met her husband, Jonathan Edgar Nichols. Jonathan made several attempts to get her to go out with him, but it wasn’t until she saw him in his jeans and t-shirt and driving his white Mustang convertible that she agreed to a date. The rest was history. Jonathan and Talitha married on August 18, 1992 in Oklahoma City. They welcomed their first daughter, Jessica Lyn Nichols-Ruedy, on April 11, 1993, just in time for Jonathan to graduate Law School a month later. Talitha continued pharmacy school with Jessica by her side and would frequently take Jessica to class with her. At this time, the family resided at 817 W. Lindsey Street.

Upon graduating pharmacy school in 1998, Talitha had some of her first experiences as a pharmacist at Albertsons Pharmacy. After Albertsons, she went on to work for Walmart Pharmacy where she became pharmacy manager. She found a permanent home working for Homeland Pharmacies in 2008, and quickly rose through the ranks. She served a total of fifteen years as a Pharmacy Manager. On March 27, 2016, she began working for Homeland’s corporate offices as Director of Pharmacy continuing to fulfill her passion. Her goal was to use the collective skills of Homeland’s Pharmacy teams to grow the health and wellness profiles of communities throughout Oklahoma.

Talitha was a devoted mother to her two daughters, Jessica Lyn Nichols-Ruedy and Rachel Richey Nichols, who was born eleven years after Jessica on May 19, 2004. Talitha worked tirelessly as a pharmacist to provide for Jessica and Rachel and still made time to take them to and from school and to all their extracurricular activities. Jessica is completing her last semester at the OU College of Law and Rachel her Senior year at Norman North High School. Rachel will attend the University of Oklahoma beginning fall 2022.

Talitha loved to run, ski, and be outdoors. She also shared her husband Jonathan’s love of collecting art. Talitha was a devoted and loyal friend and spent many weekends gardening and tending to her flowers with friends. Talitha was a member of Saint John’s Episcopal Church in Norman.

Future companions in heaven include her daughters, Jessica Lyn Nichols-Ruedy and her husband Mark Ruedy, and Rachel Richey Nichols; parents, Howard Loy and Barbara Ann Dyke; brother, Trenton Loy Dyke and wife Colette; sister, Starla Gail Wiese and husband Stephen; a nephew, Zanden Dyke; nieces, Annelise Dyke, Avery Dyke, Lydia Wiese, Tarah Wiese, and Ruthanna Wiese; extended family; and many friends.

Greeting her in heaven will be her husband, Jonathan Edgar Nichols; and grandparents, Loy and Rena Bell Dyke, Mayfield and Lena Odell Miles.

In lieu of flowers the family has requested that contributions be made to St. John’s Episcopal Church, 235 W. Duffy St., Norman, OK 73069.