Alan Nicholson Passes Away at 86, Leaving Deep Mark on Helena Real Estate and Montana Policy
Alan Douglas Nicholson, a developer and entrepreneur who reshaped downtown Helena and Montana's legal system, died of natural causes in Helena on October 18, 2026, surrounded by his family.
Born in Billings on June 19, 1940, to Fred and Helen Hammargren Nicholson, Alan grew up in Roundup as the oldest of five children. He spent his early years fishing the Musselshell and Yellowstone rivers and playing football and golf at Roundup High School. After graduation, he attended Montana State College in Bozeman to major in mathematics.
His path shifted in the winter of 1961 when his father died in a car accident on an icy road. At 21 and in his final year of college, Alan returned home to support his mother, sister, and brothers, setting aside aspirations of an aerospace career. He finished his degree by correspondence in 1962 and began teaching in Belfry, spending weekends and summers back in Roundup helping his mother run and renovate the Sage Motel that his father had built. He later taught math and science at Billings West High School.
Moving to Helena for State Education Role
Alan married his high school sweetheart, Susan Polich, in 1961, and the couple had two children, Paul and Kristin. As federal support for science education expanded after Sputnik, Alan secured funding to study at Northwestern University, earning a master’s degree in mathematics in 1967. Though he pursued doctoral studies and completed all but his dissertation, his time in Chicago broadened his perspective and cemented a lifelong commitment to the Democratic Party.
Returning to Montana, he settled in Helena in 1970 as the math and science supervisor for the Office of Public Instruction. In this role, he traveled the state to collaborate with teachers and school districts, helping secure National Science Foundation support for science and math education across Montana.
Following his divorce from Susan in 1973, Alan welcomed a son, Aaron, with Patricia Emineth in 1978. When custody arrangements presented hurdles, Alan took his fight to the Legislature, helping successfully change Montana’s joint-custody laws in 1981 to advocate for children maintaining a continuing relationship with both parents.
In 1983, a T-ball game in Billings brought him together with Nancy Morris McDonnell, whose son Chris’s team was being coached by Alan’s sister, Linda. Alan began making more frequent trips to Billings. They married on December 8, 1984, settled in Helena, and blended their families, with Alan and Chris legally adopting each other two years later. In 1994, Alan and Nancy welcomed their daughter, Molly. Over the years, the household also hosted exchange students from Sweden, Germany, and Spain.
Developing Residential Properties Across the City
Long interested in real estate, Alan eventually decided he was better suited to working for himself, taking a sabbatical from his state job to dive into development full-time. He built apartment complexes including Claimstake, Sylvan Haus, and Serendipity—now known as the Fire Tower Apartments—along with condominiums and single-family houses. He also developed the neighborhood surrounding Touchstone to integrate residents of various income levels.
Drawing design inspiration from Frank Lloyd Wright, he emphasized how buildings should harmonize with the land, establish a sense of place, and shape local neighborhoods. During the late 1970s, he resisted urban renewal overreach, helping preserve the Power Block and the Securities Building while renovating the New York Store building. Backed by a loyal staff, he built, owned, and managed other downtown fixtures, including the Medical Arts Block, and helped introduce tax increment financing to downtown Helena to revitalize historic Last Chance Gulch.
