Benjamin Arnold Nicks, Jr.

Benjamin Arnold Nicks, Jr, Shawnee, died September 28th, 2022.  He was born on March 31, 1919, in Chicago, IL, to Benjamin Arnold Nicks, Sr and Elizabeth Eudacide Harper Nicks.  At the age of one he moved with his family to the Kansas City area, then in 1929 to Shawnee, KS.  He attended St. Joseph Catholic parish grade and high school in Shawnee and graduated from St. Benedict’s College, Atchison, KS, in 1940.

Ben worked for a short time for the Kansas City Journal Post and the United Press, and enlisted in the US Army in January 1941, “to get his year over with.” He received a commission as an Army Air Force pilot in March 1942 and married June Carolyn Trembley in April of the same year.

After serving as a B-24 pilot instructor for two years in bases all over the western states he was transferred to Tinian in the Mariana Islands in January 1945 and was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross for flying 35 combat missions to Japan as aircraft commander of a B-29.

Ben left military service in January 1946 and worked 35 years for Trans World Airlines in several various administrative capacities in Kansas City and New York.  He retired in 1981 as manager of the TWA Flight Attendant’s Academy in Overland Park, KS.  He then worked at St. Joseph-Aquinas High School in Shawnee until it was closed in 1986.

Ben served seven years on the St. Joseph parish council.  He was a member and a Past Grand Knight of the Shawnee Knights of Columbus Council 2332; a member of the Shawnee Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 10552; Shawnee American Legion Post 327; Shawnee Chamber of Commerce; Army Air Force Association; Twentieth Air Force Association; Ninth Bomb Group Association; McCook, Nebraska Air Force Base Society; Harry S Truman Appreciation Society; AARP; Order of Foresters; NAACP; American-French Genealogical Society; Dubuque, Iowa Genealogical Society; Johnson County Genealogical Society; TWA Kansas City Seniors; and TWA International Seniors Club.

He was predeceased by his parents; his wife of 63 years, June, who died in 2005; his son Benjamin Arnold Nicks III; his brother William Harper Nicks and sister-in-law Barbara Nicks; sister Mary Ellen Nicks; grandson John Coppe; and cousin Mary “Elaine” Galliart.

He is survived by his son Thomas (Carolyn) Nicks, Lenexa, KS; daughters Margaret Coppe, Lexington, MA; Florence (Michael) Adams, Hutto, TX; Catherine (Robert) Malins, Albuquerque, NM; Carolyn (Jeff) Fischer, Alexandria, VA; and Dorothy (Dan) Higgins, Hollywood, MD; grandsons Andrew (Rebekah) Nicks; Michael (Jennifer) Nicks; Steven (Meg) Malins; Joseph (Tyra) Malins; Benjamin (Jessie) Miller; Raymond Miller; granddaughters  Elizabeth (James) Maier; Carolyn (Zachary) Peacock; Annette (Joshua) Hall; and great grandchildren, Alexis Malins, Azriel Butt, Benjamin Maier, Jeffery Robert Malins, Gregory Peacock, Alexander Maier, Alexander Nicks, Trent Peacock, Sebastian Malins, Nathaniel Nicks, Ashland Malins, Cora Miller, and Vivian Hall and many nephews, nieces, grandnephews and grandnieces.

Visitation will be at Amos Family Funeral Home on Friday, October 7th from 6 to 8 pm with the Rosary to start at 6 pm.  Funeral Mass will be at St. Joseph Catholic Church, Shawnee KS, on Saturday, October 8th at 10 am followed by burial at St. Joseph Cemetery, Shawnee KS.  Ben will be buried next to his wife, June, and his son Benjamin, who died in combat in Vietnam in 1970.