Obituary for Nancy C. Lyons
It is with great sadness that we share the passing of Nancy C. Lyons, wife, mother, grandmother, great- grandmother, and valued community member, who passed away Saturday, January 15, 2022, in West Rockhill Township.
The daughter of John A. and Sara (Hayes) Coombs, she was born in Aliquippa, PA and grew up in Monaca, PA, graduating from Monaca High School and Indiana State Teachers College.
She is survived by her husband, Wilbert A. “Bill” Lyons, M.D. They shared 74 wonderful years together. She was a loving and supportive mother to her five children: Kathleen (Stephen) Barndt, Daniel C. (Karen) Lyons, Timothy T. (Susan) Lyons, Clifford H. (Karen) Lyons, and Jane (Kenneth) Collins. She is also survived by 11 beloved grandchildren and 14 great-grandchildren.
She taught at Quakertown Elementary School during Bill's final year in medical school, then took a break of 17 years, which she devoted to her family and community. She returned to teaching at the former Wigwam Nursery School, Sellersville from 1965 to 1978.
Mrs. Lyons was active at St. Paul's United Church of Christ in Sellersville for her entire life, serving on the Consistory, Women's Guild, Mission Committee, and as a Sunday School aide, among other responsibilities.
She participated in the Crop Walk for Hunger for over 30 years, chairing that organization for 20 years. With her husband, she delivered meals for Meals on Wheels for 20 years and volunteered at Deibler Elementary School for over a decade.
Mrs. Lyons also spearheaded the restoration of the Sellersville Train Station. The first woman elected to Sellersville Borough Council and its first woman president, she served from 1976 to 1984. Most recently, she volunteered for RamPacks, packing food for children experiencing food insecurity in the Pennridge area.
A disciplined runner and jogger, Nancy was a fixture in Lenape Park and around town in the early mornings. She was a committed environmentalist who loved the outdoors. Nancy enjoyed bird-watching, gardening, walking, camping, and hiking. She was instrumental in the planning and completion of the walking path from Sellersville to Perkasie through Lenape Park.
She also loved cooking and music, especially classical music and opera. A voracious reader, Nancy was frequently seen at the Pierce Free Library in Perkasie.
Some of her fondest memories were of a trip to Hawaii for her and Bill's 25th wedding anniversary, the two years she and Bill spent in New Zealand, especially the first 18 months in Invercargill, and a family vacation to Bermuda for their 60th anniversary.
A memorial service will be held at the convenience of the family in the late spring or early summer.
In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to RamPacks, 104 Green Street, Sellersville, PA 18960 (or via their website rampacks.com) or to the Bucks County Free Library, Samuel Pierce Branch, 491 Arthur Avenue, Perkasie, PA 18944.
The daughter of John A. and Sara (Hayes) Coombs, she was born in Aliquippa, PA and grew up in Monaca, PA, graduating from Monaca High School and Indiana State Teachers College.
She is survived by her husband, Wilbert A. “Bill” Lyons, M.D. They shared 74 wonderful years together. She was a loving and supportive mother to her five children: Kathleen (Stephen) Barndt, Daniel C. (Karen) Lyons, Timothy T. (Susan) Lyons, Clifford H. (Karen) Lyons, and Jane (Kenneth) Collins. She is also survived by 11 beloved grandchildren and 14 great-grandchildren.
She taught at Quakertown Elementary School during Bill's final year in medical school, then took a break of 17 years, which she devoted to her family and community. She returned to teaching at the former Wigwam Nursery School, Sellersville from 1965 to 1978.
Mrs. Lyons was active at St. Paul's United Church of Christ in Sellersville for her entire life, serving on the Consistory, Women's Guild, Mission Committee, and as a Sunday School aide, among other responsibilities.
She participated in the Crop Walk for Hunger for over 30 years, chairing that organization for 20 years. With her husband, she delivered meals for Meals on Wheels for 20 years and volunteered at Deibler Elementary School for over a decade.
Mrs. Lyons also spearheaded the restoration of the Sellersville Train Station. The first woman elected to Sellersville Borough Council and its first woman president, she served from 1976 to 1984. Most recently, she volunteered for RamPacks, packing food for children experiencing food insecurity in the Pennridge area.
A disciplined runner and jogger, Nancy was a fixture in Lenape Park and around town in the early mornings. She was a committed environmentalist who loved the outdoors. Nancy enjoyed bird-watching, gardening, walking, camping, and hiking. She was instrumental in the planning and completion of the walking path from Sellersville to Perkasie through Lenape Park.
She also loved cooking and music, especially classical music and opera. A voracious reader, Nancy was frequently seen at the Pierce Free Library in Perkasie.
Some of her fondest memories were of a trip to Hawaii for her and Bill's 25th wedding anniversary, the two years she and Bill spent in New Zealand, especially the first 18 months in Invercargill, and a family vacation to Bermuda for their 60th anniversary.
A memorial service will be held at the convenience of the family in the late spring or early summer.
In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to RamPacks, 104 Green Street, Sellersville, PA 18960 (or via their website rampacks.com) or to the Bucks County Free Library, Samuel Pierce Branch, 491 Arthur Avenue, Perkasie, PA 18944.