Carl "Tom" Thomas Nichols

Dr. Carl Thomas "Tom" Nichols, 89, of Amarillo, Texas, died peacefully on April 28, 2026, surrounded by his loving family and friends.

Memorial service will be at 2:00 PM, Friday, June 26, 2026 at Boxwell Brothers Ivy Chapel. Arrangements are by Boxwell Brothers Funeral Directors.

Born June 8, 1936 in Indianapolis, Indiana, he was the son of Carl E. and Ella (Staats) Nichols. A proud Hoosier, Tom graduated from Indiana University with a B.A. in Anatomy and Physiology in 1958 and an M.D. in 1961. He went on to complete an Internal Medicine residency at I.U. followed by chief residency and endocrinology fellowship at the University of Utah. At Utah he worked closely with legendary Internal Medicine physicians Dr. Maxwell Wintrobe and Dr. Frank Tyler.

Drafted and assigned to the Amarillo Air Force Base in 1966, Captain Nichols moved his young family to West Texas, where, from 1966 to 1968, he served as Chief of Internal Medicine at AAFB Hospital. After receiving an honorable discharge, Tom and Doris decided to settle down in Amarillo. For decades Tom practiced Internal Medicine and Endocrinology with colleagues Ted Nicklaus, Barton Grooms, Steve Urban, Rush Pierce and Sheryl Williams (among others). He served as Chief of Internal Medicine and then President of the Medical and Dental Staff at High Plains Baptist Hospital (now BSA Hospital). Tom and his group were early supporters of Texas Tech University School of Medicine, teaching the first group of medical students and supporting the Internal Medicine residency (which got its start at High Plains Baptist).

Board certified in Internal Medicine and Endocrinology, Dr. Nichols was a Fellow of the American College of Physicians and served on the board of the Texas chapter of the ACP. Tom was also a fellow of the Endocrine Society. He was particularly proud of his role in developing the Overnight Dexamethasone Suppression Test for Cushing's syndrome, which is still widely used, m was first author on papers in the Archives of Internal Medicine and the American Journal of Medicine which have been cited thousands of times. Tom served as Medical Director for Western National Lite (later AIG) from 1975 to 2011, where he became a preeminent expert in assessing life expectancy of handicapped or chronically-ill infants to adults. His work was instrumental in assuring that these patients would be able to receive the lifetime care that they needed.

Tom was a good man, intelligent, honest, loyal, fun, funny...a man of strong convictions who held himself to high standards. A passionate pilot, Tom loved taking his family on "mystery trips"; and flying in formation with friends well into his 80s. He and Doris were devoted supporters of the arts in Amarillo through both Amarillo College and WAMU and were frequent patrons of the Symphony, Chamber Music Amarillo, and the Amarillo Museum of Art. Shortly before his death, Tom (with Doris) received the Amarillo Symphony's prestigious Beethoven Society award for their years of generous support.

Dr. Nichols was preceded in death by his parents; his sisters, Jo Ann Hearn and Carolyn Sue McKain; and his daughter, Laura Marie Nichols.

Survivors include his wife of 63 years, Doris Eileen Nichols; daughter, Holly (Nichols) King and husband Jeremy; son, Carl Edward Nichols; and four grandchildren, Elizabeth and Andy Scott, and Evan and Jimmy King; along with numerous nieces and nephews.

In lieu of flowers, the family suggests memorials be made to a charity of your choice in accordance with Tom’s wishes.