Phyllis O'Brien Nicolls

Our dear mother Phyllis O'Brien Nicolls sadly passed away at SMRMC in McComb, MS., on February 19 at the age of 83.

Visitation will be Friday February 24, 2023 from 11 AM until a Memorial Service at 1 PM at Hartman-Jones Funeral Home of McComb. Dr. David Millican will officiate.

She was a wonderful mother who always there when we needed her and full of kindness to others. Born in McComb, Mississippi on July 30, 1939, and raised as a "country girl" on the outskirts.

She graduated from nursing school at Touro in New Orleans and earned a BS in Nursing from LSU.

As a nurse, she was passionate towards helping others, specializing in intensive care and rising to become Director of Nursing at St. Charles General Hospital in New Orleans.

She later achieved success in founding and operating both a medical auditing company and a home health care agency in Houston. Our mom enjoyed cooking, gardening and politics, loved animals, and was a passionate supporter of military veterans - sometimes visiting military bases to hand out Christmas gifts to random soldiers, but most of all, she enjoyed spending time with family.

She was preceded in death by her father, Smiley O'Brien, mother Annie-Marie Owens and husband Patrick Nicolls.

She is survived by her two sons, Mack and John Shippen, daughter-in law Clarice and granddaughters Mariana and Grace.

She also leaves behind her three brothers, Bill, Mike and Phillip O'Brien, also from McComb, their families, and previous husband Edward Shippen. She will be greatly missed.