Focus Magazine XII

Page 16

Each year Dowling Catholic proudly honors

his famous speeches he called for everyone

Washington University in St. Louis in 1977 and

deserving alumni of St. Joseph Academy

to believe - in God’s love, in themselves and in

graduated from Drake Law School in 1980.

and DCHS with the Distinguished Alumni

each other. This embodied the Dowling spirit

and Distinguished Young Alumni Awards.

and is why Dowling still holds a special place

In 1981, Libby began one of several stints

We are honored to recognize Robert “Bob”

in Bob’s heart to this day.

working for the State of Iowa. After working

Nizzi ‘58, Elizabeth “Libby” Nelson ‘73 and

for the Department on Aging, she clerked

Alison (Blyth) Weisheipl ‘00 as our 2020

Bob left Dowling to pursue a career as a

for a federal bankruptcy judge. In 1984,

award recipients.

counselor and football coach at Boys Town

she joined the Attorney General’s Office,

in Omaha, NE, using his passion and what he

representing the Department of Revenue

Bob Nizzi graduated from Dowling High

had learned to help a whole new generation

on tax issues. Libby then entered private

School in 1958. He was a leader who excelled

of young adults. He retired from Boys Town

practice, performing transactional law,

in the classroom and on the football field,

after 16 years of service in 2005.

litigation, debtor-creditor work, real estate

lettering his junior and senior years and

law and corporate governance. She returned

serving as team captain all four years. He

Bob and Adelaide have seven children and

to service with the State as an administrative

served as class vice president his sophomore

19 grandchildren, with their twentieth due

law judge focused on the area of workers’

year, as president his junior and senior years

later this year. Bob’s son, Chris, followed in

compensation, and the primary mediator

and earned the Aquinas Key award.

his footsteps and currently serves as head

for resolving disputes between claimants,

football coach at BoysTown. One of Bob’s

employers and insurance carriers.

Bob graduated from Loras College and

favorite past times is helping him coach

married his wife, Adelaide, in 1961. He started

and continuing to develop young men for

Libby then moved on to increased

working at Dowling High School in 1964

the future.

responsibilities with the Attorney General’s

where he spent 24 years as a teacher, dean

Office, representing the Iowa Lottery, General

of students, counselor and football coach. He

Libby Nelson is a 1973 graduate of Dowling

Services, the Iowa Communications Network,

met life-long friends during his tenure and

High School. She was born in Des Moines,

the treasurer, the auditor, the Higher

enjoyed every opportunity to impact a young

the second of five children to R.W. and Mary

Education Loan Authority and the Iowa

person’s life. Bob was known for his ability to

Nelson. Following high school she went on

Finance Authority. She left the State in 2001

quiet a gym during a pep assembly. In one of

to complete her undergraduate work at

and joined Kemin Industries as chief legal

16

D O WLIN G CATH OLIC H IGH SC HOOL


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