A former Middlesex Township resident who dedicated his life to community organizations died Saturday.

Raymond “Jack” Nicklas, 85, lived in Richland Township but called Middlesex Township home for years.

He was a charter member of the Rich-Mar Rotary Club, where he had been secretary, treasurer and president in 1974. He also was the Rotary District 7280 governor and was a co-chairman of the Rotary Club’s Polio Plus campaign to eradicate polio.

However, Rotary service was just one part of his public service.

Nicklas for 16 years was a member of the Butler County Development Board and for 10 years was the secretary for the Middlesex Township School Authority.

In addition, he was a 50- year-plus member of the John E. Mair Lodge 729 in Mars.

He served for years on the Butler County AAA Board and was president of that board when the organization merged with AAA of Western Pennsylvania.

He had been on the state board of the Easter Seals Foundation and on the local board of Easter Seals.

Nicklas was an 81-year member of the First Presbyterian Church of Bakerstown and a 74-year member of the Butler Country Club.

Michele Ruth, the country club general manager, said that Nicklas frequented the club’s dining room so much that they had the “Jack Nicklas table” for him on the patio, the table that was closest to the 18th green.

“No matter when he came to dinner, if he was in the house we knew where he was sitting,” Ruth said.

Ruth, who knew Nicklas for more than 30 years, came to love a man she first saw as “unapproachable” because of his status at the club.

“We became very close in his later years,” she said. “He absolutely loved to tell stories. (His death) is definitely going to leave a void there not too many can fill.”

The Rev. Dan Muttart, the senior pastor at the First Presbyterian Church of Bakerstown, said Nicklas and his family played a “pivotal role in the life of our church.”

Muttart said that it wasn’t hard to see where Nicklas’ passions were.

“The two great loves of his life, aside from his family, of course, were the church and his Rotary Club,” Muttart said. “Jack was a stalwart in terms of leadership, a very, very strong member of the community and a one-of-a-kind presence within the body of the church.”

Ken Fleeson worked with Nicklas in the Rich-Mar Rotary Club for nearly 25 years and described his friend as “devoted and dedicated” to his passions.

Nicklas was a charter member of the Rich-Mar club.

As Rotary district governor, he spearheading a campaign to help eradicate polio around the world.

“I remember when Jack took over the polio campaign. He far exceeded the amount of contributions being asked for by our district,” Fleeson said. “It was all because of his leadership. He will surely be missed.”

Chuck Berry, who previously was a president of the Rich-Mar Rotary Club, said that Nicklas was the only club member to be district governor.

Berry said, “For Rich-Mar, he really was our leader, and we’re really going to miss him.”

Surviving are his wife of 61 years, Joy Fletcher Nicklas, his two daughters and his two grandchildren.

Funeral arrangements are by the McDonald-Aeberli Funeral Home, Mars.