Dr. Kenneth Aubrey Nicely

Published 12:46 pm Wednesday, December 28, 2011

Dr. Kenneth Aubrey Nicely, 73, died of pancreatic cancer at 5:30 p.m. on Dec. 25 at the Hospice Center. He was a native of Slab Fork, W.Va. He was a professor of biology emeritus, having achieved B.S. and M.S. degrees at West Virginia University and a Ph.D. at North Carolina State University. He taught at Virginia Polytechnic Institute for three years before joining the faculty at Western Kentucky University in 1966.

Dr. Nicely was a member of State Street United Methodist Church. He was preceded in death by his parents, George Aubrey Nicely and Nina McGrady Nicely; and a brother, Philip David Nicely.

He is survived by his wife, Alice Brown Nicely; daughters, Leslie Ann Newman (Steve) of Scottsville and Heather Elizabeth Kirtley (Sam) of Alvaton; grandchildren, Alicyn Newman, Josiah Newman, Trey Kirtley and Taylor Kirtley; sisters, Hazel Nicely Large (Kenneth) and Mona Nicely Farley (Don); four nieces and a nephew; and seven great-nieces and great-nephews.

Visitation will be Thursday, Dec. 29, from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m. at Johnson-Vaughn-Phelps Funeral Home. Funeral service will be Friday, Dec. 30, at 1 p.m. at State Street United Methodist Church, with visitation prior to the service from noon to 1 p.m. Burial will be in Fairview Cemetery.

Expressions of sympathy may take the form of contributions to the Nicely Outdoor Education Center in the College Heights Foundation at WKU, 1906 College Heights Blvd., #41016, Bowling Green, KY 42101; The Endowment Fund at State Street United Methodist Church, Box 3340, Bowling Green, KY 42102; or Pancreatic Cancer Research, c/o Cancer Research Institute, 55 Broadway, Suite 1802, New York, NY 10006.