Nancy S Hewison

Nancy Sybil Hewison
Age 75, West Lafayette, Indiana
It is with deep sadness that we share news of the passing of Nancy Sybil Hewison of West Lafayette, Indiana on December 3, 2025. Nancy was born on February 7, 1950, the daughter of the late Donald A. Hewison and Sybil Parker Hewison of Auburn, Maine. A graduate of Edward Little High School, Auburn, Maine in 1968, Nancy attended the University of New Hampshire as a National Merit Scholar, where she graduated in 1972 with highest academic honors. She was a caring, independent spirit blessed with a brilliant mind.
After receiving an M.S. degree in library science in 1975 from Simmons College, Boston, Nancy
specialized as a medical librarian, and she was soon selected as Head of Reference and Public Services at Tufts University Medical and Dental Library, Boston. She later served as Head of Reference and Online Services at the Oregon Health Sciences University (OHSU) Library, Portland. Throughout those two roles, Nancy administered and participated in reference services to schools of medicine, dentistry, and nursing as well as university hospitals. It was an exciting time as online systems and searching tools were only just beginning to emerge in the mid-1970's. This was a period of rapid change, and Nancy enthusiastically embraced the challenge to better serve medical scientists, clinical practitioners, librarians, and students. She was respected for her quick intelligence and professionalism and loved by her colleagues as well as the people she served.
Nancy joined the Purdue University Libraries in 1985 as an assistant professor and assistant librarian in the Life Sciences Library. Her role as a reference librarian was foremost in those years. She loved to help people find the information they needed to understand issues, make informed choices, and to assist them in solving problems. The more complex the reference question, the greater she relished the challenge. Nancy was promoted to professor in 1995 in recognition of her scholarly research and teaching.
In the early 1990's Nancy led the Purdue University Libraries first strategic planning effort, engaging Libraries faculty and staff as well as the broader academic community. She was a skillful integrator of diverse points of view, and her success in this effort led to opportunities to provide leadership across many subsequent initiatives including staff development, diversity and equity, safety, mentoring in the faculty promotions process, and renovation of Libraries facilities to meet the changing needs of students and staff. As associate dean of Libraries from 2004 to her retirement in 2017, Nancy worked thoughtfully and tirelessly, often behind-the-scenes, always taking a positive and analytical approach in guiding the adoption of new policies and programs. She mentored many junior colleagues and students with words of encouragement but also with a constructive nudge when needed. Her kindness, honesty, and wonderful smile will be remembered by all who knew her.
Nancy lived life with vitality, enthusiasm, and eternal optimism. She loved to sing, and she loved to dance. She could recall flawlessly the words to hundreds of folk and traditional songs, and she would often sing while sewing or quilting. An accomplished quilter and member of Old Tippecanoe Quilt Guild for many years, Nancy loved the challenge of quilt design as it included elements of both mathematics and art. Her quilts often captured the essence of the forests, seacoast, and mountains she loved. She took great pleasure in selecting exactly the right patterns, colors, and fabrics. She often worked collaboratively with others to design a beautiful quilt that would later become a gift. All were made with love, and nearly all were given as gifts to family and friends.
Nancy had a deep love for the natural world, and she loved to walk in the beauty of that world.
She and Bob fell in love with the diverse natural beauty of Oregon and the Pacific Northwest, and they immersed themselves in it through hiking, cross-country skiing, and snow shoeing, especially on the deep snow of her beloved Mt. Hood in the Cascade Mountains of Oregon.
Although they traveled widely together, Nancy's place of fondest memory was the beautiful coast of Maine, especially Acadia, which she visited as often as possible throughout her life.
Nancy is survived by her husband of fifty-three years, Robert J. Joly; her sister Carole E. Hodgkin and husband Steven D. Hodgkin, Auburn, Maine; niece Ellen M. Hodgkin, Lewiston, Maine; cousin Eilean M. Allen and husband Dennis, Dover-Foxcroft, Maine; brother-in-law Stephen G.W. Munro and wife Vicki, Wolcott, Connecticut; niece Nicole J.J. Munro, Springfield, Virginia; nephew Ian A. Munro, Wolcott, Connecticut; and her "adopted" family in Lewes, England, Julia Madigan, Sasha Pyatt and "granddaughters" Ruby, Beatrice, and Alexandra Blake-Pyatt. She was preceded in death by her parents, aunts, uncles, cousin Dennis P. Lafond, Auburn and New Gloucester, Maine, and sister-in-law Anita L. (Joly) Munro.
A Celebration of Life service of remembrance will be held in the spring of 2026 at Hippensteel Funeral Service and Crematory, 822 N 9th Street, Lafayette, IN. Burial will take place later at Saint Mary Cemetery in Claremont, New Hampshire.
In lieu of flowers, please consider memorial contributions in Nancy's name to The Nature Conservancy (https://www.nature.org) or the Alzheimer's Association (https://www.alz.org/).
Share memories and condolences online at www.hippensteelfuneralservice.com