David Nyquist

David Nyquist passed away after suffering a heart attack on Wednesday, May 15, 2013 he was 74. He was born in New York City. He acquired an academic diploma from George Washington High School in Manhattan and received B.S. and M.S. Degrees in Marine Biology from the University of Nevada in Reno. He was a National Institute of Health Fellow and received his Ph.D. in Limnology from Utah State University in Logan. He served in the U.S. Army and was a Vietnam veteran with the rank of Major. He was assigned to the Army Environmental Hygiene Agency. His service time was stateside at the Aberdeen Proving Ground formerly known as the Edgewood Arsenal in Maryland. David was an assistant professor in the Water Resources Department at the University of Alaska. He returned to the 'lower 48' to accept a position with the newly formed Environmental Protection Agency in Washington DC. Wishing to return to the western US, David accepted a position with the Atomic Energy Commission in Las Vegas, Nevada and later at Kirtland Air Force Base in Albuquerque, New Mexico. He later returned to Las Vegas, where he was one of the founders of the Desert Research Institute. The final move to Boulder, CO was to work for the National and Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Living in the foothills in Boulder County he developed a passion for fire protection and wildfire mitigation. He became a firefighter with the Lefthand Fire Protection District in 1981 and was appointed Chief in 1985. He served as Chief for 22 years, retiring in 2007. He was an active member of the Rocky Mountain Incident Management Teams for over two decades. He was instrumental in the development of several wildland fire programs for Boulder County residents. The WHIMS (Wildfire Hazard Identification and Mitigation System) was a county program that he helped to develop. He worked throughout the county as a Certified State Fire Inspector. He became a qualified Type 2 Logistics Section Chief and Safety Officer and dedicated many years to wildland fire response with the regional and county Incident Management Teams. In recent years he served as a Fire Marshal with Rocky Mountain Fire Authority and remained active as a Logistics Section Chief with the Boulder County Type 3 Incident Management Team. In addition to his love of firefighting, David was a private pilot and enjoyed flying. He was an NRA instructor and an officer or member of many societies and organizations. David is survived by his wife Carla, his son David Henry and a Sister, Marydee. David's parents and a daughter, Robyn Lee proceeded him in death. A memorial service with firefighter and military honors will be held on Monday, May 20th at the Lifebridge Christian Church 10345 Ute Highway in Longmont beginning at 10:00 a.m. Members of the Community is are welcome to attend. In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made to Lefthand Fire Protection District or Rocky Mountain Fire Authority. To offer condolences please visit: www.greenwoodmyersfuneral.com