Remembering our good friend and sometimes-lead, sometimes-tenor, Nic Cols

December 25, 1954 - October 17, 2025

Nic came to the U.S. from Belgium with his family at the age of 3.  He grew up in a very religious household, but did not come to know the Lord until age 21.  Since childhood he was involved in singing and theatrical productions. In 1974, Nic joined his first barbershop chorus and was a member of various barbershop, gospel, and classical choruses and quartets in Columbia, MD; Phoenix, AZ; LaGrange, GA; Atlanta, GA; Roswell, GA; Cary, NC - and of course, here in Raleigh. Nic said that he considered participation in The Master's Men a high honor in which he aspired to carry forward the message of God's hope and love to our audiences as well as to his fellow singers.  He committed himself well to this goal, and we Master's Men greatly miss his quick smile and wit, and hearing his strong voice on lead or tenor.

(Shared from Nic's obituary:)
Nic was born on Christmas Day, 1954 in Antwerp, Belgium to Simon and Mary Ellen Cols. His family moved to the USA in 1957, and he grew up in Emerson, NJ. He attended Bergen Catholic High School and graduated from Dartmouth College in 1976. Nic married Sandy Poore in Baltimore, MD, and his career led them to Colorado, Arizona, North Carolina, and Georgia.

Nic loved being a father to Greg and Melanie and passed along his love of camping, skiing, hiking, and singing to them and their families.

Nic sang in barbershop choruses, classical choirs, and church choirs throughout his entire life; most recently, he was a member of The Master’s Men gospel chorus, Oak City Sound barbershop chorus, and the Seventh Dimension quartet.

Nic always stepped in to serve or lead, and was never afraid to try something new. During retirement, he played golf, volunteered at the golf course, sang, and even played the part of Abraham Lincoln at several local events (they were both 6’4”)! For Nic, a walk around the neighborhood took twice as long because he would always take time to stop and chat with neighbors along the way.

His greatest joy was spending time with his six grandchildren - Erin, Elyse, and Emilia Cols in Raleigh and Margot, Ellen, and Hugh Green in Atlanta. They all loved their granddad.

Nic had a strong faith in God and placed his trust in Jesus. His family takes great comfort knowing that he is now free from pain and is present with his Savior, where songs of praise and joy will never end.