Lisa Willis, a “cradle” Episcopalian, and Bob Nichol met in 1967 as undergraduate liberal arts students at Duke University. Both were transplants to North Carolina, and both were products of “nomadic” families: Lisa, a Classical Studies professor’s daughter, had graduated high school in Durham and studied music; Bob, studying English, was a military “brat” whose Army Medical Corps father had retired to begin private practice in Lexington, NC, where Bob graduated from a small country high school.
They became engaged shortly before Bob joined the Army, enlisting for Officer Candidate School. They were married after Lisa’s graduation with a degree in music (primarily organ performance, choir directing, and music pedagogy) and one week after Bob’s graduation from OCS as a 2nd Lieutenant, Intelligence Corps. Twenty years’ travel in the service ensued, with three- or four-year assignments in Arizona (where their son and daughter were born), Japan, Texas, North Carolina, and Belgium. While Bob “fought” the Cold War, in each assignment, Lisa taught piano at home and/or played organ and directed choirs for post chapels or local Episcopal churches. Bob was confirmed in 1973 and sang in choirs (mostly Lisa’s) from then on.
Bob retired from the service in Fayetteville in 1990 and worked as a recruiter in Adult Continuing Education for the local community college. Lisa became full-time minister of music at Highland Presbyterian Church, while their children completed high school.
In 1997 Bob got wind of an opening in business intelligence at a small mergers-and-acquisitions firm in Wilmington (where he had always wanted to retire one day!) and rented an apartment downtown. Lisa joined him in 1998, becoming director of music at St. John’s. They bought their current home off Wrightsville Avenue. Bob retired fully in 2009 and spends much of his time with his 45-year genealogy hobby. Lisa retired from full-time work in 2011, but is still in high demand as a substitute musician in local churches.
They both enjoy gardening, travel, and visiting grandchildren, two north of Charlotte in Cornelius and two southeast of Olympia, WA, in the foothills below Mt. Rainier.