Your life was touched in a positive way if you knew or interacted with former Sturgeon Bay Principal Bob Nickel, who passed away earlier this week from pancreatic cancer.
Nickel’s educational journey took him through Sevastopol and Algoma School Districts before finishing his career last year at Sturgeon Bay High School after 15 years. Nickel was a talented musician as well as a principal, volunteering his piano skills to be an accompanist for performances as needed. Sturgeon Bay School District Superintendent Dan Tjernagel remembers how quickly the two got along both on a professional and personal basis after he joined the district in 2014. The two navigated the challenges of COVID-19 during Nickel’s final two years as they tried to juggle the pandemic while also providing a positive learning experience for their students. Tjernagel says his favorite memory of Nickel revolves around the annual rite of graduation.
It was the same sentiment Nickel shared with us before he presided over his final graduation in 2021.
The Sturgeon Bay School District is planning to honor Nickel with a renovated auditorium, which was something he fought for repeatedly as discussions surrounding improvements were made. You can find details for those efforts by clicking this link. You can listen to our full Community Spotlight interview with Tjernagel here.
