In 2004 Tom Nyquist was 73 and recently retired. Tom wanted to continue to contribute to society in retirement and his brother had left Tom his share of the Montana farm where they grew up.  This farm was still producing profit, so they decided to form the Thomas and Corinne Nyquist Foundation, a family foundation funded by the income from the farm to do some good.

Living in New Paltz, NY, but hailing from and deriving the money from the Froid, MT farm, Tom decided to have the Foundation give grants in the two communities for things that wouldn’t take a lot of money, but might make a difference - things not funded by government or big foundations, but the little things that the communities might want but not be able to afford like park benches, an interpretive trail, or an oven in the community center, things for the boy or girl scouts, or for a community museum, garden, or theatre, the rescue squad or VFW.

Tom and Corinne put in the herculean effort to form an official 503(c) foundation registered with all the appropriate agencies.  Every task performed to set up the foundation was done personally by Tom and Corinne, making it truly a labor of love. They hosted an opening party September, 2004, and Tom gave a speech.

In 2005 the first grants went out.  Culbertson, MT got a tent for events, Hudson River Playback Theatre addressed bullying by performing in local schools, Huguenot Historical Society threw the community event “Summer on the Street”, Mohonk Preserve bought a projector, and Unison Arts and Learning Center bought a copier/printer.  Nothing over $1000 was spent, but local people enjoyed art and theatre, and got together with each other.

Since then, Tom and Corinne yearly donated their farm proceeds to the Foundation, and 6-10 grants of $500-$2500 were given annually for similar small but important things.  An annual scholarship was added for graduating high school seniors wanting to stay in Bainville, MT where Tom’s brother Bob lived.  A “Montana Collection” of books about Montana or by Montana authors was initiated at the Froid Public Library housed in a beautiful new bookcase hand built by a local, and with books added annually.

Tom, as Foundation Chair, did all the work.  He wrote press releases, developed forms and a website, corresponded with applicants, sent out checks, filed government paperwork, and made site visits to grant recipients.  Not that it was all hard work when site visits involved pie at the Culbertson Museum or tea at the Culbertson Library, and meeting, laughing, and enjoying being with all the real people involved in the projects.  That was what Tom truly enjoyed.

In 2011 the farm got an oil lease, and Tom donated half to the Nyquist Foundation to purchase land for the Nyquist-Harcourt Wildlife Sanctuary with help from the Open Space Institute.  More paperwork, bureaucracy, and insurance later, and it was opened free to the public.  This 56-acre piece of nature, kitty corner from Tom and Corinne’s house, and along the Wallkill River became Tom’s labor of love for the next eight years.

Tom was out nearly daily building boardwalks to keep people’s feet dry, installing benches for them to sit on, putting up informational signs, conferring with biologists and labeling trees, picking up litter, chopping new paths, and fixing bridges and culverts.  But people-person that Tom was, an amazing thing happened.  People popped up out of the woodwork to help him.  Someone volunteered to mow the paths, downed trees were mysteriously chain-sawed, and boards in the bridge seemingly replaced themselves.  An eagle scout re-graded the approach.  Girl scouts, a cross country team, and many others have volunteered and continue to volunteer.

People have visited the sanctuary in record numbers.  Calling All Poets had children write poetry about it.  Historic Huguenot St. sponsors nature walks.  People post pictures online or call to gush about the bald eagle, blue heron or river otter they’ve seen.  Young women in period costume have been seen having a tea party.  One family planted a memorial tree, and another placed a memorial bench in the sanctuary they had frequented with their loved one.  And through it all, Tom was out in the Sanctuary every day inspecting the trails and greeting community members.

Tom Nyquist passed away Dec. 2, 2019.  A few days before, he had written his list of prospective Foundation grants for the upcoming board meeting and had ordered a new bench to install in the Sanctuary in the Spring.  He even checked on the Sanctuary the morning he died.

The Foundation and the Sanctuary go on.  We, his wife, children, and now grandchildren populate the Board.  We met and approved a new set of grants in late December.  We installed two benches in March and continue to check on the Sanctuary.  But we will never be the presence my father was at 88 years old out every day with the clippers cutting back the bushes that would grow across the paths, and talking to anyone and everyone who happened by.

Lynn Nyquist
New Chair of the Foundation and Tom’s Daughter