McNICKLE, Jack - b. December 3, 1943 - d. December 19, 2021

[patyrn]

Jack McNickle, age 78, of Cambridge, Kansas, passed away December 19, 2021 at Via Christi St. Francis Hospital in Wichita, Kansas.  He was born December 3, 1943 in Alfalfa County, Oklahoma, the son of Raymond S. "Jack" and Juanita (Swiggert) McNickle.

Jack was raised in Burden, Kansas and received his education there, graduating from Burden High School in 1961.  He then attended and graduated from Northeastern Oklahoma College at Miami, Oklahoma where he played baseball and football.  Following school, Jack began his career as a journalist in Council Grove, Kansas as a sportswriter.  In 1967, he was married to Kathy Griffith in Texas.  To this union were born two children.  The couple later divorced.

Jack's award-winning work as a journalist took him to numerous places including Missouri, Kansas, Oklahoma, Texas, and Arizona.  He worked for the Topeka Capital Journal as the beat writer for the Kansas City Royals and was Sports Editor at the Coffeyville Journal, receiving national recognition for his article on Ken Zacher of Nowata High School.  He also worked in multiple positions at the Caney Chronicle.  While working as Sports Information Director at Coffeyville Community College, he began his coaching career as the college's first women's basketball coach.

Jack returned to his journalist roots, moving to Grand Saline, Texas working as Editor, covering all sports, writing a weekly article called "Alway on Wednesday", a column that won him many awards.  Under Jack's leadership, the Grand Saline Sun became a multiple award-winning paper.  Jack's talent and love for recruiting led to his coachig return as the Assistant Women's Basketball Coach in Coffeyville, and he later had the same position at the University of Texas El Paso.

Jack moved to Winfield, Kansas to care of his mother and accepted the position of assistant coach at Southwestern College.  He later worked for a season as the head coach for the Cedar Vale/Dexter Spartans before becoming the Women's Basketball Recruiting Coordinator for Wesleyan University in Bartlesville, Oklahoma. 

In recent years, Jack served on an "on-need" basis as pulpit preacher at Grenola Christian Church, Moline Christian Church, and Cambridge Presbyterian Church.  He enjoyed fishing, basketball, baseball, raising flower gardens, and loved a wide variety of music.

His family includes his son, David McNickle of Plano, Texas; his daughter, Angela Johnson of Sanger, Texas; his brother, Jim (Mona) McNickle of Arkansas City, Kansas; his sisters, Helen McNickle of Rolla, Missouri and Lelia McNickle of Tulsa, Oklahoma; his grandchildren, Chad (Daielle) Johnson of Amarillo, Texas and Hannah Johnson of Sanger, Texas; and his two great-granddaughters, Avery Kay ad Hadleigh Rae Johnson of Amarillo, Texas.  He was preceded in death by his parents and a brother, Jerry McNickle.

Funeral services will be held on Thursday, December 23, 2021 at 10:00 a.m. at Miles Funeral Service in Winfield, Kansas.  Interment will follow at New Salem Cemetery near Winfield, Kansas.  A visitation is scheduled at the funeral home on Wednesday evening from 5:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m.  The family will greet visitors during this time.  Services have been entrusted to Miles Funeral Service, 4001 E. 9th Avenue, Winfield, Kansas 67156. 

(taken from the Miles Funeral Service website)