Tributes to Stanley J. Nicol

June 24, 1941 - January 9, 2022

Reflections on Stan Nicol

Tributes to Stanley J. Nicol

El Fedewich

Stan filled very big shoes when replacing Dr. Bernard Hoeter as Secretary of The Society of Notaries Public of BC. Stan’s first major accomplishment was getting The Society office computerized. Next was steering the formation of the formal Notary Education Course at the University of BC. That became a massively difficult project, with Dr. Hoeter’s high standards hovering over Stan and all the Directors of The Society.

Next came Stan’s guidance in getting our Notary Foundation functioning. Stan did much for our Society. He did it with grace and respect. It is a better world for all the people whose lives he touched. He will be sorely missed.

Goodbye, Stan. El Fedewich, BC Notary, Retired I was saddened to learn of Stan Nicol’s January 9 passing. I first came to know Stan in 1986 when he took over from Dr. Bernard Hoeter as Secretary of The Society of Notaries Public of BC. For some years I had been serving as The Society’s counsel. Adrian Chaster The Society’s home back then consisted of an office and a reception area under the clock at the top of the Granville Block at 736 Granville Street. Full-time staff were Stan and his secretary Winifred Nielsen.

My dealings with The Society were limited to handling the rare Special Fund claims, assisting as necessary with the odd discipline case, and presenting each year’s new crop of Notaries for the swearing-in ceremony at the BC Supreme Court.

Then the “insurance crisis” arrived. Insurers began pulling away from covering professionals—and began making premiums prohibitively expensive.

The Society, under the direction of President Larry Stevens and Director Brent Atkinson, elected to become self-insuring. Larry and Brent were instrumental in putting the plan together and Stan presided over the creation of the in-house insurance program. I added the handling of E&O claims to my duties and Stan and I worked ever more closely together.

I enjoyed working with Stan. He was a quick study with legal issues, could always see the big picture without getting lost in the myriad picayune details of each case, and he laughed at my jokes. A close business relationship developed into a personal friendship.

I attended each Society Conference. One of our regular events was what we called The Stan and Adrian Show, which I introduced by saying, “Here’s what you guys have been doing lately that is helping to pay my mortgage.” We would then discuss relevant practice issues and more general matters.

My working relationship with The Society of Notaries Public came to an end in 1999, when I withdrew from practice. Stan retired as Secretary of The Society a couple of years later, in 2001.

Retirement evidently did not suit Stan; he accepted an appointment as Registrar of the College of Traditional Chinese Medicine and Acupuncture in 2004, a post he held for several years. Stan roped me into becoming a member of the College’s Inquiry Committee, looking into complaints against registrants, a post I hold to this day.

Stan and his wife Gloria eventually retired with their beloved dogs to a beautiful log home on a little lake near Pender Harbour, where Stan saw out his days.

He was 81.