Charles R. “Ray” Nickless

Charles Raymond “Ray” Nickless, 72, of Platte City, Missouri, passed away, Sunday, December 4, 2016.

He was born on January 19, 1944, to Oliver Vincent and Alpha Vera (née Johnson) Nickless in Thayer, Missouri. Ray attended Raytown schools before graduating from Alton High School in Alton, Missouri, in 1962.

He enlisted in the United States Air Force in 1963 where he became a Jet Engine Mechanic and served in the United States and in Okinawa, Japan, until 1967. After serving his country, Ray took his mechanical skills to TWA (and later American Airlines), working on jet engines from 1968 to 2006. His interest in airplanes encompassed all aspects of flight—Ray earned his single-engine Private Pilot License in 1968 and later his Commercial License and Instrument Rating. He logged nearly 1,400 hours (1,386 officially) over the next 40 years. Additionally, he learned to perform aerobatics, even demonstrating a rollover for his future wife, Anita Marie Ecton, when he took her up in the air for their first date. Ray and Anita were united in marriage on December 31, 1974, and made their home in Platte City.

Ray sought a full and exciting life. He was interested in motorcycles and cars (including racing them!); science and technology, especially astronomy; reading, history, and the Old American West; model trains; ice skating; and the outdoors, including deer hunting, trout fishing, and traveling (especially to the western mountain states, such as Idaho, Wyoming, and Utah).

Ray provided a loving life for his wife, Anita, and their children, Barbara and Aaron. He has a sister, Anneta Green, and her husband Elbert; a brother, Arthur Nickless; and other relatives and friends.

Funeral Service: 6:30 p.m., Thursday, December 8th at Hixson-Klein Funeral Home, Smithville with visitation one hour prior.

Burial: Thayer Cemetery.

In lieu of flowers, the family suggests donations be made to the American Heart Association or the American Diabetes Association.