Obituary: Martinus (Martin) Hoffman Nickerson
- Obituary
- Oct 7
- 2 min read
Martinus (Martin) Hoffman Nickerson, 85, of Bellingham, Washington, passed to the great beyond on August 28, 2025.
Born on August 12, 1940, in Glen Cove, New York. Martin attended the Greenvale School, Old Brookville, NY; Saint Mark’s School, Southborough, MA, and the Lawrenceville School, Lawrenceville, NJ. He then attended Trinity College, Hartford, CT, where he received a bachelor's degree in history. After attaining his degree, Martin married Sheila Bunker in Oyster Bay, Long Island, NY.
In 1964, Martin and Sheila moved to Colorado where Martin earned two Master's Degrees: one in Civil Engineering and another in Public Administration from the University of Colorado, Boulder. While simultaneously, working for Adams County, Boulder, Colorado as an Engineer. During their time in Colorado both son, Tom and daughter, Helen were born.
In 1971, Martin and his family then moved to Juneau, Alaska, where Martin began to work for the State of Alaska as the Assistant State Traffic Engineer. He was promoted to State Traffic Engineer, and he worked until he completed his career as an Internal Auditor for the Alaska State Department of Transportation and Public Facilities. Martin was an active member of the Holy Trinity Episcopal Church in Juneau, Alaska. During the family’s time in Alaska, son, Samuel was born. Upon retiring from the State of Alaska, the family moved to Bellingham, Washington. Martin attended Faith Lutheran church. When Martin stopped hunting and fishing, he made the best apple sauce from his trees.
Martin was a serious and avid bird watcher, a golfer, and a dedicated sailor. He raced around Admiralty Island, Alaska with his friends Doug Finley and Herb Holman. He sailed his boat, Monomoit, down the East Coast of the United States to the Caribbean where he sailed with family and friends for many years.
His surviving family includes: his wife, Sheila Bunker Nickerson; Son, Thomas M. Nickerson, and his children, Anna, Peter and Nina ; Son, Samuel B. Nickerson, his wife Anthia, and children, Bode and Kira; daughter, Helen Nickerson, and her children, Storm, and India S. Shockey, her husband, Adam, and great granddaughters, Gisele and Griffin. Brother, William Hoffman Nickerson and his wife Jane, of Greenwich, CT. Also, many English cousins and nieces and nephews who he held in great esteem. Martin was predeceased by his parents: Jane Soames Nickerson and Hoffman Nickerson; brothers, Eugene, Adams, and Schuyler.
In Lieu of flowers the family would like to ask that donations be made to the Save the Redwoods League, savetheredwoods.org. Some of Martin's last words were: I wish I had learned more about trees.
