Paul PawPaw Albert Nicks

Paul Albert Nicks was born on Friday, November 13 1925 and passed away on Sunday January 1st 2017. He was 91 years young. He was predeceased by his Wife, Angelyn M. Nicks. He is survived by his daughter Angelyn Marie Wilkes(Michael A Wilkes), his grand-daughter Sharla M Shelton(James Ron Shelton) and three(3) brothers, two(2) sisters and several nieces and nephews.

Paul was born in Sarasota Florida and started his life out as a fisherman. He entered the Navy on January 12 1944 and was assigned to the Pacific Fleet on an LCT685. He attained the rank of Coxswain. He returned to Florida at the end of the war and moved to Safety Harbor Florida in 1948 where he remained a resident until 2014. He married his wife (Angelyn) in 1951 in Safety Harbor.

He worked for Florida Power for the next 25 years as a job steward. He also worked as a commercial fisherman on the side,because he loved fishing and loved the long hours it required to be successful. He always built his own boats, made his own nets and did all of his own repairs of both. He was the first in the Tampa Bay area to use a 4" mesh, so only the larger fish would be caught. This allowed the undersized and smaller fish to avoid being caught in his nets.

Paul made hundreds of friends in this area and in the Florida Keys. Before going to work for Florida Power he would travel to all the Keys fishing all the waters there including Atlantic and Gulf waters. There are just too many stories to mention but he was a known fixture at the pier in Safety Harbor and other Marinas in area.

He also helped build steel ships in Tarpon Springs when he retired from Florida Power with Duckworth Steel Boats. Paul will be missed by all of us.