As a child, Sally moved with her family to the West Coast from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. She graduated from Reed with a master’s in teaching and said, “Being a Reedie opened opportunities within and beyond my chosen profession.”
After returning to Pittsburgh, she met her husband, Ed Wiskemann. They had two children, moved about, and ended up in San Antonio, Texas, where Sally worked for more than 20 years at the Institute of Texan Cultures, rising from volunteer to director of volunteer services. For over 40 years, she participated, volunteered, and performed with her chorus in the annual Texas Folklife Festival.
Sally’s love of music was boundless: she sang barbershop with the Sweet Adelines, directed the Fiesta City Chorus, and broke into song at any opportunity. A voracious reader, upon retiring from ITC she worked with a close friend to create the Low Vision Resource Center’s Owl Radio, a station for the print-impaired. She served on the board, read on the air, and worked passionately to further the station’s mission of bringing news and entertainment to those who have difficulty reading newspaper print.
Sally traveled around the globe, was well informed on important issues, and stood strongly for her beliefs, with particular interest in empowering women. She is survived by her daughter, Jean Bolling, and her son, Marc Wiskemann.