Farewell to My Dear Friend Nicolette

Today the world lost a great librarian and I lost a great friend. Nicolette Sosulski passed away from a long and brave journey with cancer. 

She was an advocate for the profession and a great teacher. She cared deeply about serving those in need. She was also a tireless advocate for librarians with a belief that we could all get better. 

I have no higher praise to give than to say she was my librarian. If I had a hard question or wanted to check a crazy idea she was there. Beyond professional, she was dogged, passionate, and a genius navigating sources and working with people. When I talk about librarians advocating for our communities she is the face I see. 

We began this latest road with cancer together. She was always there checking in and sharing. Even as her options dimmed, she was there cheering me on. She was clear eyed about what was coming and had a strength I cannot fathom. 

Today I miss my friend.

UPDATE: her family has posted this obituary:

On May 15, 2019, Nicolette Marie Warisse Sosulski, loving daughter, sister and mother of two children, Peter and Nicholas, passed away from a year-long battle with lung cancer at the age of 56.

Nicolette was born on March 20, 1963 in Louisville, KY to Nicholas and Doris Warisse. She grew up in St. Martha’s parish and graduated from Sacred Heart Academy. She earned her Bachelor of Arts in English from Georgetown University, Washington, DC and her Master of Library and Information Science from the University of Washington, Seattle, WA. Nicolette found her passion in librarianship.  The American Librarian Association, in their memorial resolution to her said, “She was a motivated information professional: relentless about investigating a research question, had a gift for connecting people to information, had a real knack for identifying areas of need and developing plans, Nicolette was all that a 21st century librarian should be.”  Nicolette loved all things Southern which included cooking, literature, and big floppy hats.  She had a passion for animals, rescuing over a dozen dogs and cats, either finding them homes elsewhere or taking them in and loving them herself. Nicolette was an award winning author, a witty and phenomenal online communicator – she took online messaging and managing connections to a whole new level.  Nicolette was enthusiastic, mindful, continuously curious, loved and WAY smarter than anyone else in her family.

Nicolette is survived by her father, Nicholas and her mother Doris, her two children Nicholas and Peter, her sisters Jeanine and Michelle, and her cousins, nieces and nephews.

In lieu of flowers, memorial donations can be made to the Portage District Library, 300 Library Lane, Portage, MI 49002.  

A mass celebrating her life will be held at St. Joseph’s Catholic Church, 936 Lake Street, Kalamazoo, MI, 49001 at 1:00 in the afternoon on Thursday, May 16, 2019 with a reception immediately following. The family is also planning a celebration in Louisville, Kentucky that will take place over Fourth of July weekend.