He graduated from Farnam High School and served in the United States Army Medical Corps towards the end of the Korean war.
Leonard received a Bachelor of Science degree in education from the University of Nebraska at Kearney, a Master of Arts degree with a major in Mathematics from Boston College and attended Kansas State University to enhance his teaching skills.
Leonard spent his professional career as a math and science teacher. He taught high school students for the Loup City, North Platte and Lincoln school districts with the majority of his career spent at Lincoln Southeast High School. Throughout his career he was a member of the following professional organizations: The Lincoln Education Association, The Nebraska State Education Association, The National Education Association, the Nebraska Association of Teachers of Mathematics, and the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics. He served 2 terms as faculty representative to the Lincoln Education Association and served one term as treasurer of the Nebraska Association of Teachers of Mathematics. During the 1981-82 school year Mr. Nickerson was the recipient of the Outstanding Teacher Award given by the Capitol City Kiwanis Club and was the recipient of the Mike Troester Outstanding LSE Educator Award. Leonard was well liked, respected and admired by the hundreds of students he worked with over his 36 years of teaching.
He loved being with family, especially the time spent at Mahoney State Park where he and the family most recently celebrated 31 years of gathering at the park. He was always there to help each of his children paint or tackle any project they took on. He was an amazing cook, enjoyed raising a big garden each summer, and was an avid Husker football, basketball, and volleyball fan.
Leonard is survived by his beloved wife of 66 years, JoAnne, his daughters, Cory Reed, Kelcy (Brad) Sass, Lendy (Matt) Kesler, sister, Donna (Larry) Swanson, brother Rodney (Lori) Nickerson, and sister-in-law Gwen Ochsner. Leonard is also survived by his grandchildren, Ashley (Marc) DuBois, John Fredrickson (Jeff Formanek), Maggie (Alex) Ritter, Tyler (Josephine) Reed, Nickerson (Jacque) Sass, Seth Reed, Avery (Douglas) Clark, and Audrey Kesler. In addition, Leonard was the beloved great-grandpa to Vivienne and Gemma DuBois, Leon Fredrickson-Formanek, Max and Ellyanne Ritter, and Nealey Sass.
Leonard was preceded in death most recently by his loving daughter Marilee Fredrickson, his parents Don and Reba Nickerson, in-laws Dick and Shirley Dobesh, sister and brother-in-law Madeline and Harvey Rupe, brother and sister-in-law Elden and Eleanor Nickerson and brother Joe Nickerson.
Rosary will be held on Thursday, November 17 at 6pm, Roper and Sons South Lincoln Chapel, 3950 Hohensee Drive. The family will greet visitors following the rosary, 6:30-7:30pm.
Funeral services will be held on Friday, November 18 at 10:30am at St. Peters Catholic Church, 4500 Duxhall Street, reception to follow at the church.
Memorials can be directed to the family for future establishment of a mathematics scholarship in his name.