Nikolaus Volker Decker, 61, of Plymouth passed away peacefully in Hingham on Oct. 14 at after a valiant battle with glioblastoma.
Nick was born in Bruchsal, Germany, to Alfred and Gabriele Decker on April 21, 1964. On July 3, 1965, at the rightful age of 1, his family immigrated to Dorchester. It was there that he spent his childhood years and graduating from Boston Technical High School in 1982. After a brief stint at college, he had a handful of jobs before finding his lifelong career and passion for fine woodworking.
Nicholas spent over 40 years at Kochman, Reidt, and Haigh Cabinetmakers in Stoughton, where he worked his way up from working on the shop floor to eventually becoming chief operations officer. Nick was beyond dedicated to his craft and thoroughly enjoyed the problem-solving aspects of every position he held. Nicholas had a good rapport with everyone he worked with – shop, office, vendors and salesman alike. He shared great admiration for his mentors, Jim Kochman, Paul Reidt, and Alan Haigh, as well as for his proteges, especially Manny Pires. Manny grew to be a family friend, who was always there for Nick, and the first to check up on him through challenging times. Nick truly did value everyone he worked with, and all were a huge part of his life. From adding pictures of Cindy to his weekly meetings or sharing his excitement whenever his work family grew through marriages or pregnancies. He enjoyed many nights in Boston attending “BAD Talks”, monthly networking events of Builders, Designers, and Architects. Despite being in the industry for so long, he would always come home excited to share what he had taken from the event, whether it was learning something new, meeting a like-minded person, or on occasion finding a new beer that he liked.
It was at KRH where his sister-in-law Julie Edwards set him up on a blind date where he would meet his future wife Holly.
Nicholas was dedicated to his work and his family alike and was able to celebrate 30 years of marriage this past August 12th. They wed on a boat they nicknamed “The Love Boat” and the invitations for the wedding were mailed like a message in a bottle. They honeymooned on a private sailboat across the US and British Virgin Islands, a story he would tell for the rest of his life. His family was his world – he would do anything for his two sons, Jackson and Kai, and absolutely adored his goldendoodle Goliath. If he wasn’t helping Jackson with whatever it was he was fixing on that weekend, he would be found talking with Kai about the latest tech gadget he had acquired. If he wasn’t home, he was taking Goliath on a nature walk. Towards the end of his life, he enjoyed a lot of quality of time with his brothers, sisters, and his niece Allyson. His loving family would call daily, and people traveled from near and far to see him. He treasured those conversations and the time together.
Nicholas will be remembered for his quick and sharp sense of humor. Even up until the end of his life he would try to find light in the darkest of situations. In a serious meeting about his cancer and surgery options he suggested to his neurosurgeon that she was the first to get through his thick skull, something that his wife had been trying to do for 34 years. Nick was known for his one-liners and his ability to put a smile on everyone’s face. His never-ending positive attitude, even-keeled personality, and willingness to help anyone with a problem will be forever missed by those who knew and loved him.
Nicholas was predeceased by his parents, as well as his beloved mother-in-law, Priscilla Vining. He is survived by his wife Holly Edwards Decker and their two sons, Jackson and Kai Decker, both of Plymouth; his brother Harry and sister-in-law Marianne Decker of Rochester, NH; sister Bernadette and husband Bob Leonard of Bartlett, NH; sister Andrea and brother-in-law Michael Katapodis of Brockton; brother Wolfgang and wife Evelyn Decker of Brockton’ and sister Elisa Mello of Pembroke.
Services will take place on Saturday Nov. 1 at Cartmell Davis Funeral Home 373 Court St, Plymouth, from 3 to 5 p.m. A private Celebration of Life will follow.
In lieu of flowers the family requests donations be made to The Pat Roche Hospice House, 86 Turkey Hill Lane, Hingham, Mass., 02043, in Nick’s memory. The Decker family is forever grateful to Rebecca Sprague, the amazing, compassionate staff at the Pat Roche Hospice House, as well as Nick’s outstanding neuro-oncology team at Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston.