Nikko Hicks

A personal tribute from somebody who new him.

Nikko Hicks lived in River Court for many years. Retiring from a challenging city job, he applied himself with enthusiasm and vigour to village and church life. Whilst he was a prayerful and reflective man, he was also very humble and one of life’s doers, and he got stuck into many things as well as serving the church on the PCC and as church warden.

I first encountered Nikko during a youth church event when he delivered home cooked pizzas fresh with a stripey apron and straw boater, creating a business model that Just Eats should have copied. Over the next few years Nikko merged himself into church life, spiritually, prayerfully and practically, initially agreeing only reluctantly to serve on the PCC as he felt he could be more use making, fixing and doing. 

Nikko engaged in many adventures over the next few years and many of his achievements remain in the church. For example, many years ago we had a problem with rising damp! Not surprisingly we had a drainage system that had probably worked once back in the Middle Ages, but years of shifting Kentish gravels and cars in the church yard had played havoc. A professional quote for a new drainage system was met with a “How much?!” response, followed by Nikko beginning to explore the churchyard with his trowel. An appreciation of the problem followed, and the Drains project was launched for minimal cost but most importantly, it was delivered as a “come along and dig in the church yard” project which Nikko ensured was over seen by an archaeologist. My own children enjoyed digging in the churchyard and many years later we still have a functioning system which was brought about by Nikko’s hard work and passion.

Those of us who are not as steady on our feet as we once were also have much to thank Nikko for as he also decided that the step up to the altar was a “bit ropey”. So he constructed and then stained two new hand rails. The best part for me was the way he worked out how to fix them to the existing structures using only friction fittings, hence, no change to the existing structure so no faculty was needed. 

We also have Nikko to thank for various Christmas trees, Christmas nativity scenes, and my favourite, the annual church fayre raffle of which for some years he was the licensee. It would have made a great story if Nikko has somehow ensured the star prize was always won by a selected individual, but in the true spirit of the guy, the event raised substantial funds for the church and, somehow, he always persuaded people to not only donate prizes, but to feel privileged in being able to donate a prize or buy a ticket. 

Nikko was a real family man who, strongly rooted in the heart of his own family, willingly joined the church family. I was fortunate enough to serve alongside him as church warden, a role which he truly lived. Nikko attended just about everything as church warden - including cameo appearances at many of the youth functions we did at the time. He recently took a second retirement to Hythe moving closer to his daughter, having tragically lost his son in the 1980’s.

Today our thoughts are with Jill and the rest of his family as we remember Nikko and reflect on the fact that St Peter will have a very willing helper keen to get stuck in.

Gerard O’Sullivan

5th June 2021