Nickolas Colton Starks died at the age of 28 in Pullman on May 8, 2023.  He was born on April 13, 1995, in Kennewick, Washington to Rhina and Bradford Starks.  He graduated from Othello High School in 2013 and received his Bachelor of Science  Degree in Bioengineering (Cum Laude) from WSU in 2021.  He was working toward his Doctorate degree at WSU, Pullman.  He enjoyed cycling and exploring the outdoors.  He would frequently talk about the "rabbit holes" he would go down while researching, whether for his schooling or finding out how to do something.  He was extremely creative and could build anything.  He always would say reduce, reuse, repurpose, and recycle.  He truly believed it.  He would constantly build his cat, Mr. Kitty toys, or cardboard palaces from things he could no longer use. He was happiest in the lab at WSU and would spend as much time as he could there doing his research. He is survived by his mother Rhina Starks of Kennewick, WA, his grandmother Nancy Horne of Benton City, WA, his uncle and aunt Richard Horne Jr. and Nadya Horne of North Bend, WA, Brian Starks of Washington. He is predeceased by his grandfather Richard Horne Sr., grandfather Charles Starks, grandmother Mary Starks, and father Bradford Starks. He did not like funerals, so no services are planned.

Death is Nothing At All

By Henry Scott-Holland

Death is nothing at all,
I have only slipped into the next room
I am I and you are you
Whatever we were to each other, that we are still.
Call me by my old familiar name,
Speak to me in the easy way which you always used
Put no difference in your tone,
Wear no forced air of solemnity or sorrow
Laugh as we always laughed at the little jokes we enjoyed together.
Play, smile, think of me, pray for me.
Let my name be ever the household word that it always was,
Let it be spoken without effect, without the trace of shadow on it.
Life means all that it ever meant.
It it the same as it ever was, there is unbroken continuity.
Why should I be out of mind because I am out of sight?
I am waiting for you, for an interval, somewhere very near,
Just around the corner.
All is well