Bartholomew G. Nyhan ’64 P1991
Source: https://www.legacy.com/us/obituaries/name/bartholomew-nyhan-obituary?id=60217816
Bartholomew “Bart” Galvin Nyhan, 83, of Auburn, CA, passed away on November 15, 2025.
Bart was born on May 13, 1942, in Lawrence, Massachusetts, to Anna and Walter Nyhan. The eldest of four, he grew up in Lawrence and Haverhill, with a brief detour to Lewiston, Maine.
He was first married to Kim Kisselburg, with whom he shared five children. He later married Margaret McClement, gaining two stepdaughters whom he cared for deeply.
Bart graduated from St. Michael’s College in Colchester, Vermont, in 1965 and promptly enlisted in the Navy. He quickly became an officer and served on active duty, including tours aboard the USS Mattaponi and USS Richmond K. Turner. After transitioning out of active service, he earned his MBA at USC in 1972 and built a successful career as an insurance executive. Ever the entrepreneur, he helped build and run several companies over the years, shaping countless careers along the way.
Throughout his life, Bart had a natural gift for bringing people together-family, friends, coworkers, and the occasional random stranger who made the mistake of saying hello. He could walk into a room knowing no one and leave with three new best friends, two lunch invitations, and someone’s life story. His curiosity was sincere, his questions endless, and his memory for personal details almost suspicious-always making people feel seen and valued. A natural leader who relished being in charge (some might say a little too much, and they’d be right), he united people with humor, energy, and a touch of stubborn confidence. But nothing made him prouder than his family, and nothing lit him up quite like his grandkids-his favorite conversation partners and his greatest source of joy.
Bart was part of a close-knit group of families affectionately known as “the gang,” who skied together in Tahoe and enjoyed an annual camping trip that lasted an impressive 25 years. The legendary talent shows, the notorious walking stick test, and the infamous BSD disease-an affliction known to strike teenagers-remain cherished memories for all who were there, and brave enough to return each year.
A curious traveler with a deep appreciation for history and culture, Bart explored the world with his wife, Maggie. Together they visited Hawaii, Eastern Europe, London, Ireland, Scotland, Greece, Rome, and many other places they cherished along the way. A devoted reader and lifelong learner, Bart took great joy in staying informed and engaged with the world around him.
He was an avid golfer, a devoted New England sports fan, an especially obsessed Red Sox loyalist, and a firm believer that ice cream should be eaten every night (a trait he proudly inherited from his mother). He was deeply proud of his Irish heritage and dedicated to his Catholic faith, which became an especially important source of comfort in his final years living with Alzheimer’s.
Bart is survived by his wife, Margaret Nyhan; his siblings, John, Jim, and Marianne; his children Sean, John, Kelly, Bridget, Katie, Darby, and Amy; his eighteen grandchildren; and three great-grandchildren.