John Allen Nickerson, age 75 of Brentwood, Tennessee, passed away on Thursday, March 5, 2026 in Nashville, Tennessee. John was born in Garland, Texas to Jesse and Ruth Nickerson on October 10, 1950. He graduated from Pittsburg (Texas) High School in 1969. John was a remarkable baseball player and was drafted by the Atlanta Braves after high school but opted to play college ball instead. He was All District VI catcher at Pan American University where he graduated Cum Laude in 1973. John was hired as the head baseball coach at Hill Jr. College after graduation, making him the youngest college head baseball coach in the country. He later coached at Paris Jr. College in Texas. His love of the game remained a lifelong passion, and it was his great delight to encourage and coach young players.

In 1978, John made a career change and joined La-Z-Boy, Inc. as a Sales Representative in Northeast Texas and Northern Louisiana. He received the Summit Club Award as the company’s top Sales Representative in 1993. In August 2001, John and his family moved to Nashville to develop the La-Z-Boy Furniture Galleries retail business where he owned and operated Middle Tennessee’s highly successful La-Z-Boy Furniture Galleries Nashville, and where his family is proud to continue his legacy and his vision.

John was an avid golfer and was a member of Brentwood Country Club where he is loved and admired by all. He and his wife Mandy shared a passion for travel and took many wonderful trips with their family. During his time in Texas, he served on the Board of Trustees at Pittsburg ISD for 15 years. He served his church as a member of the vestry, lay reader, and Church School teacher for 15 years. He was blessed to be a faithful member of St. Paul’s Episcopal Church in Franklin, Tennessee for the past 25 years. John loved his family with unfailing and selfless devotion. In business he was a leader of integrity and vision. He lived a life of dedication, leadership, faith, compassion, humility and generosity.

John is preceded in death by his parents, Jesse and Ruth Nickerson, and his brother, Jesse III.

He is survived by his wife of 52 years, Amanda Brown Nickerson, son Preston (Katelyn), daughter Katy, son Andrew and grandchildren Syler and Sophia, his brothers Bill Nickerson (Donna) and Jim Nickerson (Astrid), siblings-in-law Teresa Nickerson, Lewis Brown (Kerry), Pam Broadnax (Bob), and Amy Robinson (Rick), and many cherished nieces and nephews.

Funeral services will be held on Monday, March 23 at 11:00 a.m. at St. Paul’s Episcopal Church in Franklin, Tennessee. A visitation will be held at St. Paul’s prior to the service at 10:00 a.m. There will be a celebration reception honoring John at Brentwood Country Club in Brentwood after the service.

Memorials may be given to:

St. Paul’s Episcopal Church, Franklin, Tennessee

John Nickerson Baseball Scholarship Fund at Lipscomb University.