Sally Nyquist

LEWISBURG – Dr. Sally Nyquist, 74, of 253 Jean Blvd., Lewisburg, died Wednesday morning, May 11, 2016, at Buffalo Valley Lutheran Village, Lewisburg.

A retired professor of biology, she was born November 8, 1941 in Hutchinson, MN. She grew up on a farm and attended a one-room rural school house for her first seven years. After graduation from high school and Wheaton College, she entered the Peace Corps where she worked on a general science curriculum development project and taught for two years at Pio Duran Memorial School in Guinobatan, Albay, Philippines. Upon returning from the Peace Corps, she obtained her Ph.D. in cell biology at Purdue University. After a two-year post-doctoral position at Kettering Research Laboratories, she obtained a position at Bucknell University where she taught in the Biology Department until her retirement in 2004.

While students and their learning and general welfare were always her concern, she also maintained a very active research laboratory. She authored many papers and was the recipient of numerous grants from agencies such as the National Institutes of Health. She taught multiple courses in cell biology and microanatomy. She prided herself in the rigor of the courses she taught and in the student’s mastery of the discipline. In 2002 she received a Bucknell Presidential Award for Teaching Excellence. She took her turn serving as Chair of the Biology Department and chaired the Program in Cell Biology & Biochemistry from its inception in 1989 to the time of her retirement.

Sally was heavily involved in many campus activities. She served as Judicial Administrator for Sexual Assault for several years and later continued to serve on its panels. She also served two terms on the University Review Committee and one year as its chair.

During her 1993/94 Sabbatical, Sally received a Fulbright Senior Lectureship in Cell and Molecular Biology. She spent the year teaching and conducting workshops on molecular biology labs at Stella Maris College in Chennai, India. She loved her time in India and, upon return, became very involved in the support of various international student activities. In 2002, she was the recipient of the BurmaBucknell Award for the Promotion of International and Intercultural Understanding.

Sally loved to cook and particularly to bake; her specialty was pies. She was also proficient in cooking south Indian dishes. After retirement, her gardens tended to proliferate. Her daffodil gardens were spectacular and late in life she naturalized crocus into her front lawn creating another spectacular display.

She was very active in First Baptist Church, Lewisburg, where she served regularly on the Board of Deacons (as Moderator of the Deacons on two occasions), taught an adult Sunday School class, and served on other boards. Sally was on the board of the Lewisburg Chapter of AID (Association for India’s Development) which provided much of the financial support for a girl’s home for tribal and backward caste girls in Kerala, India.

Sally is survived by two brothers, Joel Nyquist of Cokato, MN and Peter and his wife Susan of Dassel, MN, and a sisterin-law, Kathy Nyquist, of Cokato, MN. She is also survived by 8 nieces and nephews and their children: Darla with son Luke Nyquist of Champlin, MN, Matt and Jenny Nyquist with children Tyler, Zachary, Chase and Bennett, of Independence, MN, Joshua and Heidi Nyquist with children Megan, Katie and Emma of 2 / 3 Minneapolis, MN, Benjamin and Kristi Nyquist with children Caleb, Abigail and Olivia of St. Paul, MN and Anjali and Zach Timonen of Hopkins, MN, Kerry and Joshua Schimmel with children Evan, Eli, Ian, and Ariel of Cokato, MN, Kristin and Eric Dahlke of Dassel, MN., and Brent and Amy Nyquist with children Regan and Tyler of Cokato, MN.

She was precede in death by her parents, Eugene and Martha Nyquist, her brother Maurice Nyquist, and her sister-in-law, Darlene Nyquist.

A memorial service will be held at First Baptist Church, 51 South Third Street, Lewisburg, PA on Saturday, May 14, 2016 at 1:30pm with the Reverend MacKenzie Scott, officiating.

If desired, memorial contributions may be made to AID Lewisburg, P.O. Box 538, Lewisburg, PA, to the First Baptist Church, 51 S. Third St., Lewisburg, PA or Evangelical Hospice, 130 Hospital Dr., Lewisburg, PA.

Arrangements are by Roupp Funeral Home, Inc. Mifflinburg, PA.