Obituary – Rod Nicoll
29/08/2025
The Tenants Union Residential Land Lease Communities team and the Residential Land Lease Communities Forum members are deeply saddened to learn of the recent death of Rod Nicoll.
Rod was a member of the Residential Land Lease Communities Forum and a resident advocate. He passed away peacefully on 14 June 2025 surrounded by his family.
Rod and Margaret lived at Acacia Ponds a Hampshire Villages land lease community at Pambula on the NSW South Coast. Rod’s wife Margaret says,
"Rod and I were together for 59 years. A lifetime. We shared not just a marriage, but a journey. From our fossicking adventures to building our mudbrick home, and through all the years of spiritual work and reflection at TEMBE, Rod was my companion in every sense of the word.
He was a gentle, wise, and quietly strong man. He had a beautiful way of connecting with people — of truly listening. He loved his family deeply, and I know he felt that love returned, many times over.
Rod also had a wonderful sense of humour. He loved to leave people laughing — always with a joke, a cheeky grin, or a twinkle in his eye. It gave him such joy to make others smile, and I know many will remember that laughter.
One of the most profound gifts of Rod’s life came from his sister, Phyllis, who gave him a kidney and, with it, 23 more years of living, loving, creating, and being with us all. What a gift — and what love.
His presence is woven into the fabric of our lives — in the jewellery he made and the stones he polished, the stories he told, the laughter we shared. Though he may have left his body, I believe his spirit walks with us still — free and light.”
Paul Smyth, Land Lease Communities solicitor says,
"I remember Rod as a quiet and patient man, and a keen and thoughtful listener who contributed to improving living circumstances for residents.
Rod successfully represented residents from Acacia Ponds at the Tribunal in site fee matters, repairs/maintenance cases, and compensation cases.
Rod attended many Residential Community Forums over the years convened first by the Parks and Village Service (PAVS) and later by the Tenants’ Union of NSW until health issues made attending in person more difficult. Rod attended and participated in Resident Advocate training that was provided by the Tenants’ Union. Our sincere condolences go out to Margaret and to the Nicoll family. Rod will be missed."
Pictured: Some members of Land Lease Communities Forum, May 2025
This article was published in Outasite magazine issue 13. Outasite is published once annually. Outasite Lite email newsletter is sent several times a year – subscribe here. All past issues are available in the archive.
