Sara Louise “Sally” Nyvall
Sara Louise “Sally” Nyvall McKeen was born on May 23, 1939, the fourth of six children — five girls and one boy. Her nickname, Sally, matched her exuberant, outgoing personality. She was the athletic one, having overcome rheumatic fever as a child thanks to the new drug penicillin. She became a champion water skier, a high school cheerleader and a participant in every activity offered to her.
Her water skiing talent led her to work on a ski film with Bruce Parker in the Adirondacks the summer after high school. That same summer, she met the love of her life, James McKeen. Though they began college on opposite coasts — Jim at Fordham in New York and Sally at Stanford in California — they soon met in the middle, both transferring to the University of Minnesota. They married in 1959 on Sally’s 20th birthday and welcomed their daughter Kirsten two years later, followed by their son Kyle in West Palm Beach, Florida.
In 1968, Jim’s job took the family to Singapore — a move Sally embraced wholeheartedly. It sparked a lifelong love of travel, culture and adventure. Together, they explored Southeast Asia, the Pacific, Europe, Scandinavia and even the Soviet Union during the Cold War. These years abroad shaped Sally’s worldview and deepened her appreciation for people and places far beyond home.
Back in Texas by 1972, Sally explored various roles in real estate, retail and teaching. Teaching was her true passion. She led water aerobics classes for people with disabilities, taught parenting courses for family outreach and co-founded a book club with her dear friend Sally Cobaugh that continues to meet today.
Sally and Jim continued to travel extensively, especially enjoying Elder Hostel (now Road Scholar) and Overseas Adventure Tours. She visited every continent except Antarctica, and even after Jim’s passing, Sally kept exploring the world. In 2000, they purchased a home in the Adirondacks, splitting time between Texas, New York and their travels. Sally cherished her time in the Adirondacks and continued to visit there until her peaceful passing on Sept. 9, 2025, while living with her daughter Kirsten in Florida.
Sally’s infectious laughter and love of humor brightened the lives of everyone around her. She had a special gift for finding joy in everyday moments and was known for a clever game she played with Jim called In Cahoots. Through a series of subtle taps, Jim would convey the name of a famous person, and Sally –brilliantly well-read and intuitive — would build a story and guess the name, delighting friends and family with her wit and insight.
She is survived by her daughter Kirsten and son-in-law Jaime, her son Kyle and daughter-in-law Saxon and her grandchildren Alex, Gus, Annika, Aidan, Jack and Clipp. Sally is also survived by her sisters Ginny Durfee, Judy Clague and Martha Jones, her brother Mark Nyvall and many beloved nieces and nephews.
Sally was preceded in death by her parents, Lorraine and Clifford Nyvall and her sister Susan Johnson.
In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation to a charity of your choice — reflecting Sally’s lifelong generosity and care for others.
“Blessed are the curious, for they will have adventures.”