Edward R. (Randy) Nichols was born and raised in Jersey City, New Jersey. He graduated from William L. Dickenson High School in 1968. He proudly served in the military on the U.S.S. Little Rock CLG-4 and was honorably discharged from the Navy in 1974.

Randy started his career in construction, working for a custom home builder in Sparta, New Jersey, that was also a V.A. approved school for construction. A few short years later, he moved to Jacksonville, Florida, in 1975 and has been living at the beaches ever since.