Nicholas Daniels

Nicholas Daniels was born on September 23, 1977 in Kansas City, Missouri to Joyce Ann Marie and Gregory Daniels, Sr. His parents and grandparents preceded Nick in death.

Nick grew up in Kansas City Missouri, graduating in 1995 from Northeast Law and Public Service Military Magnet High School. He developed Type I diabetes when he was 14, but Nick didn’t let the complications of the disease stop him from playing football. He worked at Sears for a total of 12 years, even after a stroke left him with some paralysis on one side and a speech impediment. At Sears, he earned Top Salesmen Awards and met Fidel Melgoza and Jeremy McGrail; the three would develop a lifelong friendship. In recent years Nick also attended Blue River Community College.

Nick had many joys and favorite pastimes, but his greatest were the New York Knicks, Kevin Durant, and the Kanas City Royals and the Kansas City Chiefs. He would save or sacrifice for authentic jerseys—no tee shirts for him. Nick loved spending time with family and friends, cooking his famous brisket and growing oriental lilies.

Nick was persistent, resilient and most of all independent. While his second stroke in 2016 left him unable to talk or swallow, he insisted on taking care of himself with active involvement in his medical care which enabled him to continue to drive. Nick passed away on September 21, 2017, two days shy of his 40th birthday, from a third stoke at Center-point Medical Center in Independence, Missouri.

Nick is survived by his brothers Gregory Daniels, Jr. and Harlan Sherman; aunts Stacey Daniels-Young (Lawrence), Vivian Jones, Pauline Pendleton, and Ruby and Diane Williams; uncles Raymond and Michael Williams; and a host of nieces, a nephew, cousins, other relatives, and friends as well as a very special friend who helped him so much over the past year, Rachel Roland (and “Z”).