Isabel “Nicky” Anne (Nichols) Swisher, passed away Wednesday, June 9, 2021, at the age of 94 years.
Nicky was born in Palo Alto, Calif., in 1926 to Shirley and John Nichols. When she was a young girl, she moved to Pocatello in 1934 when her father, John R. Nichols, became executive dean of the University of Idaho – Southern Branch (now Idaho State University).
She graduated from Pocatello High School in 1943 and attended Stanford University in Palo Alto immediately thereafter, where she earned a Bachelors of Arts. Upon graduation, she moved back to Pocatello and married Joseph Perry Swisher in 1948.
They made their home in Pocatello, and in 1949 welcomed their oldest son Lawrence “Larry.” In 1951, she gave birth to their youngest son, Eric.
Nicky began her career as a physical therapist in the 1940s treating polio patients. She transitioned from this career to teaching after earning a bachelor’s degree in education from Idaho State University in the early 1960s. She worked as a special education teacher throughout the 1960s and 1970s for the Pocatello Public School District. She was dedicated to and beloved by her students.
Nicky moved to Lewiston in 1976 when Perry became the managing editor of the Lewiston Morning Tribune. Three years later, in 1979, they relocated to Boise when Idaho Gov. John Evans appointed Perry to the Idaho Public Utilities Commission. She worked for Gov. Evans in his campaign office. She remained in Boise for the rest of her life.
Perry was well-known throughout Idaho for his political career, newspaper editorials and work with the IPUC. Nicky was the rock behind his work, and they were married for more than 60 years before Perry’s death in 2012.
Nicky is remembered for her resilience, intelligence and humor. She loved to read and passed that interest on to her sons and grandchildren. She spent hours reading with them and loved to buy books for them.
Nicky’s youngest son, Eric, passed away in 2010. Her husband, Perry, passed away in 2012 and her oldest son, Lawrence “Larry,” passed away in 2019. She is survived by her brother Alan H. Nichols and her grandchildren Nathan, Nicholas, Nora and Natalie Swisher.
Per her wishes, no services will be held. In lieu of flowers, donations may be sent to the Shoshone-Bannock Early Childhood Program.
