Robert Claude Nichols

Robert Claude Nichols died peacefully on May 31, 2026, in Durham, in the company of his wife, Marilyn Butler, and a small group of his closest friends. Rob, the son of Robert E. and Chin Nichols, is survived, in addition to Marilyn and their dog Puck, by his brother Steve Nichols (Karen), a large extended family, and countless friends, including his childhood friend Chuck Grayson. Rob had a natural burial at Bluestem and shares his grave with 2 loaves of bread (a Rustic and a Sourdough), a favorite recipe (Rye Molasses Ginger Cake), notes, a Petoskey stone from his home state of Michigan, and many beautiful native flowers.

Rob was born in Detroit and graduated from Grinnell College in 1974 with a degree in Biology and moved to New York City where he worked in a hospital research lab. He inherited his mother’s love of cooking, so nights and weekends, he cooked at Cafe Fiorello. While in New York, he developed an interest in environmental science, planning, and architecture, and to combine these passions, he moved to Chapel Hill to attend UNC's Department of City and Regional Planning. He received a Master's degree from the department in 1980, and as importantly, developed a community of close friends that remains to the present. Upon graduation, Rob took a job at UNC's Institute for Environmental Studies, and later in the 1980s, worked at Research Triangle Institute.

During this time, Rob's love of cooking and baking continued; one of the highlights of his life was to work in the Fearrington House kitchen under Edna Lewis. He started a catering business, Celebrated Foods, enlisting friends as helpers and servers. Eventually, realizing that his work in environmental policy left him unfulfilled, Rob developed a plan to start a bakery selling artisanal breads like those he had eaten in NYC and San Francisco. Serendipitously, his new relationship with Marilyn led him to Weaver Street Market, where Manager Ruffin Slater recognized what Rob could contribute to the market and broader community. Rob and Marilyn married in July 1993 at the Eno River, and returned from their honeymoon to the beginning of Rob's life as a full-time bread baker. He developed a robust following of customers who continue to seek out the breads and pastries of Weaver Street Market.

While Rob’s most visible legacy for the Triangle food and co-op community remains the many loaves of bread baked daily out of the bakery in Hillsborough, the lasting memories for the people who worked alongside him in the bakery are nights filled with laughter, stories, ideas, and an exacting commitment to quality. Rob cultivated a community of artisans, many of whom still bake today, at Weaver Street, Tartine, Boulted Bread, Grand Central Bakery, and the Carrboro Farmers Market. He cared deeply about the bakers, and he fostered an environment that valued teamwork and continuous improvement. Rob truly believed that what the bakers were doing was special and that the bread they made was elemental to life, and a community service. Those values continue to motivate the bakery today.

Rob had an insatiable curiosity and never stopped having creative ideas. He continually revised recipes, trying out variations until he was satisfied. In 2000, Rob worked with Weaver Street to create Panzanella Restaurant, known as a community gathering place and for their Totally Local Dinners. He was a carpenter, gardener and lover of the outdoors; after he and Marilyn and four other close friends bought a house in southwest Virginia, Rob did much of the remodeling and upkeep of the property. They spent many happy weekends hiking, cooking, baking, and visiting with their neighbors.

Rob’s natural kindness, generosity, and passionate interest in life were supported and conditioned by Zen teachings which he sustained throughout his life. His steadfast interest in self-knowledge and open-hearted, loving-kindness was a blessing to all who entered his orbit.

Marilyn was a loving caregiver with Rob in his last years when he contended with chronic leukemia, Lyme disease, and Alzheimer’s. She was grateful for Rob’s ability to be present in every moment, and to love simply being where he was. Marilyn is also deeply grateful for the friends who offered love, a sympathetic ear, and often food at the end of a tiring day. She reserves a special thank you to their friend Jewel Wheeler, who visited Rob weekly for several years and enriched his life with trips to museums, hiking, coffee shops, the library, or practicing meditation at home together. In his last months, he spent several days a week at Golden Horizons Adult Day Center. Marilyn and he both adored his new community of friends and wished they had discovered Golden Horizons sooner.

A memorial service is planned for October 18, 2026, 2pm, at The Glen, 4026 Glenn Rd, Durham. The Glen is a former tobacco farm turned retreat center, and the service will be outdoors, weather permitting.

Memorial contributions may be made to Grayson Landcare, Transplanting Traditions, the Eno River Association, or the charity of your choice.