Mary Nicholson Obituary

Mary Elizabeth Nicholson died at 89 on October 1, 2025 at a skilled nursing facility in Laurel Fork, Virginia after a six-year struggle with Parkinsonism. She enjoyed her sip of wine before dinner right up to the end, leaving this world still listening to the Irish tenors sing. 

She was born September 26, 1936 at home in Woodside, Queens NYC, to parent Charles J. Wahlig and Mary Isabelle (Williams) Wahlig. As a teen, Mary was a roller-skating enthusiast and, like her older brothers Michael and Charles, she went on to compete and win skating events on a local and regional level. In 1955, she attended Dean Junior College in Franklin, Massachusetts where she obtained a business degree. She later returned to school and earned a Master’s degree from SUNY Cortland in Health Education and in 1978 a Ph.D in Human Service Studies from Cornell University. She became an associate professor in the Health Department at UNC-Greensboro, then Penn State’s Health Department in State College, Pennsylvania. Mary earned tenure and remained employed at Penn State until she retired in 2002. 

Mary married Charles Nicholson in 1989, who she described as the quiet but strong, romantic Humphrey Bogart type. She and Charlie enjoyed fabulous vacations to places such as Istanbul, an elite Alaskan cruise, St. Andrews and many more stunning destinations.

In 2002 she lost her son Bill (William R. Gebhardt) to cancer and, in 2004 her husband Charlie, the love of her life, passed away. In addition to forming a charity in her beloved son’s name, Mary continued to unify the extended family and mentor all 14 grandchildren in golf, arts and investing. She became a true snow-bird, spending the warm months in State College and winters at her beach condo at Jensen Beach on Hutchinson Island, Florida, playing in various senior women’s golf leagues. She made the beach condo her permanent residence in 2016. Suffering a fall in January 2021, she was diagnosed with Parkinson's. Requiring assisted living, she moved into a cottage built for her across the street from her daughter’s mountain cabin in southwestern Virginia. There she was cared for by her granddaughter Emily, with healthy gourmet meals, physical therapy and sunshine streaming through skylight windows. She enjoyed daily phone calls with her college roommate, Nancy, and reading her Kindle. Much to everyone’s shock, she even became a cat lover. 

Mary E. Nicholson is survived by her daughter Elizabeth Gebhardt, her son-in-law Michael Taillon, four step-children, fourteen grandchildren and ten great grandchildren, brother Michael (& Joyce) Wahlig, sister Carolyn Szostek and her beloved best friend Nancy. She was a strong, bold and kind person. Rest in Peace.