Helen "Jeanie" Nichols

Helen "Jeanie" Nichols transitioned from her earthly body on March 3, 2024, following a lengthy, however privately endured illness.  Strong in stature and determination with a heart of passion for others, Jeanie will be missed by her friends, family, and the community for which she gave a lifetime of service.  Surviving to cherish her memory are her children, Nathaniel McClean-Nichols and Khadija Mboup, grandchild Idrissa Mboup, Sisters Dorothy Nichols, and Rachel Harris (and Husband David Harris).  Also left to remember her legacy are Nieces and Nephews, Erika Nichols, Doug Young, Fawne Nichols, Chrisean Nichols, Leiluanea Bedillion, and Payton Bastien; her Uncles James McDonald and Gilbert Long, a number of cousins and countless friends that have become family.  Jeanie's heart was too big to restrict her love for others. She spent 15 years as a foster parent, welcoming eight children into her home and care, and providing guardianship for two children, Deanna Fuller and DeLeon Fuller for over 12 years.

Helen attended Northeastern University, where she obtained her bachelor's in business administration and her associate degree in interior design from Art Institute of Pittsburgh with a concentration in Fine Art.  Living her passion for caring, Jeanie served as the Director of the Sojourner House Family Shelter for a number of years and worked for 24 years as a Housing Crisis Specialist with the Mayor's Office of Housing Stability (formerly known as the Emergency Shelter Commission). Through her work with the city, she impacted thousands of lives serving Boston's Unhoused populations and assisted preventing many families and individuals from facing homelessness.  Her passion for life extended into entrepreneurship with her business, Good Karma Industries, where she shared her love for healing by selling crystals, crystal grids and providing life coaching.  She also sponsored community self-care workshops, surrounding Binaural Healing, Crystals, Gardening, and Meditation.

Helen was active in community organizing as the founder and lead organizer of The Four Agreements Wisdom Circle, where she worked with senior women and grandparents raising their grandchildren to organize community events and activities.  Through these efforts, she would host community events, including Emergency Preparedness events, Gardening Projects, Sustainability Projects distributing Organic Seed Vaults to the Community, Immigration Rights Education Red Card Workshops, and the Christmas in the City program, Toys for Tots for the Grove Hall Community, and Hosted Volunteer Housing Search Clinic at the Amal Women's Center and Shelter (Where she had a housing success rate of 100% with all her clients).

Known for her love of cooking, travel, music, and gardening, Helen "Jeanie" Nichols leaves a legacy of admirable leadership.  A celebration of life service will be held on Saturday, March 23, 2024, at the Columbus Avenue AME Zion Church in Boston, Massachusetts, with visitation commencing at 11:00 am, followed by a 12:00 pm service.