Francis R. of Life Care Center of West Bridgewater, February 5, 2014 at the age of 95. Formerly of Brevard, NC, Pukalani, Maui, HI, and Arlington, MA. Beloved husband of the late Mary (Conger) Nitchie and brother of the late George Nitchie. He is survived by his sons, John, Carl, and Kenneth Nitchie and his daughters, Mary Smith and Beth Campbell. He is also survived by 11 grandchildren and 7 great-grandchildren. He was predeceased by his granddaughter Mistie Campbell. A graduate of Middlebury College, he was an Optical Engineer who worked for the Underwater Ordinance Research Laboratory in State College, PA, 1945-1959, Harvard Astrophysical Observatory from 1959-1961, and ITEK Corporation from 1961-1974. He retired in 1983 from Lockheed Corporation in Maui, HI where he worked in the Haleakala mountain astronomical observatory. In 1991, he moved to Brevard, NC and in 2007 moved to The Arbors at Taunton. A Memorial Service will be held in the future at the Wilmington United Methodist Church. In lieu of flowers, Donations may be made to Maui Memorial Medical Center, 221 Mahalani Street, Wailuku, HI 96793.