LLOYD CHARLES NIELSEN January 7, 1926 - November 5, 2014 Lloyd was born January 7, 1926 in Racine, Wisconsin, the fourth child of John and Dagmar Nielsen. He attended Racine Washington Park High School, where he was a student leader and athlete, participating in football, basketball and track. Lloyd graduated in January, 1944. Upon graduation, Lloyd enlisted in the Army Air Corps. After WWII ended, and he completed his military service, Lloyd pursued his and his parents' dream of attending college. He ultimately enrolled in Lawrence College in Appleton, Wisconsin with the encouragement of his high school principal, coach and mentor George Walter. Lloyd graduated from Lawrence in 1950. While in college Lloyd met the light of his life, ClareAnne Frank. They married on June 16, 1952 and began their journey together in Merrill, Wisconsin where Lloyd had begun his career as an educator, teaching history and coaching. While based in Merrill, Lloyd earned his Master's Degree from Harvard University, and became a father, twice over. From Merrill, the Nielsen family moved to Monroe, Wisconsin for Lloyd's move into education administration as the principal of the high school. Another child was added during the Monroe tenure. In 1961, the family moved to Cambridge, Massachusetts where Lloyd entered the doctoral program in education administration at Harvard. While at Harvard, Lloyd became lifelong friends with the members of his ACP (Administrative Career Program) group. He was awarded his Ed.D. in 1963. Lloyd became the Assistant Superintendent of the Minnetonka, Minnesota schools in 1962. In 1965, he undertook the task of leading the Monongalia County, West Virginia school district based in Morgantown, into the 20th Century. He faced and made many difficult decisions, and in 1967 left the West Virginia district in a position to move forward to provide a decent education for all of the District's students. In 1967, Lloyd assumed the position of Superintendent of Schools in Roseville, Minnesota. His tenure at Roseville is best described by his friend and a successor at Roseville, Dr. John Thein: Lloyd built Roseville Area Schools on the foundation laid by Dr. Emmet Williams. No one individual did more to enhance the reputation of District 623 than Lloyd Nielsen. Dr. Nielsen was a leader of vision who built Roseville Area Schools into a lighthouse school district. He was fearless in defense of his students, his staff, his schools and his community. Following his retirement from Roseville, in 1986, Lloyd was a Senior Fellow at the University of Minnesota working on strengthening the link between colleges and public schools. He also was a partner in the professional consulting firm of Plath Nielsen Rogers Associates. Lloyd's passion for furthering education was not limited to the Districts he served. He was a member of the Minnesota Association of School Administrators, serving as its President, in 1973-1974. Lloyd further held various positions with the American Association of School Administrators, serving as its President in 1982-1983. Amongst other honors, he was named to the TOP 100 School Administrators in the U.S. in 1980 by Executive Educator Magazine. In 1979 Lloyd served on Governor Al Quie's Task Force on Educational Policy, and was a frequent consultant on educational policy issues at the State and National level. Lloyd's contributions to the society in which he lived were not limited to education, although that was his lifelong passion, he was an active member of Rotary, the YMCA, the Wissota Appaloosa Horse Club, and the Presbyterian Church. Lloyd and Clare traveled extensively, often with family and the friends they loved so much. His adventures included a solo bicycle trip through Europe following his military service, traveling the People's Republic of China in 1982 as an emissary of American education, sojourns to his beloved Kauai, and too many other destinations to recount. Lloyd's other loves included his beloved Appaloosa horses, skiing, and "the Cabin." Lloyd loved his family, teaching and inspiring his children, Peter, Mary and Laura. He embraced the addition to the family of Peter's wife, Carla, and Laura's husband, Duane. He assumed a larger than life role as Grandpa to his six grandchildren, Eric, Zach, Kristen, Will, Alison and Rachel. Lloyd was preceded in death by his beloved wife, ClareAnne; his parents; sister, Ruth, and her husband Charles Lee; hisbrother Jack and wife, Kay Nielsen; and brother-in-law Irv Erickson. He is survived by his children, grandchildren, his sister, Betty Erickson, 13 nieces and nephews and their families; many friends, including his ACP group, the Sandy Hook gang, the POETS and the Downtown Young Men's group.