Emily Ruth Kistler, 79, died peacefully Dec. 20, 2025, at Atria Park of Ann Arbor, Mich.

She was born to Winnie Florence Kistler (Greulich) and Dr. William Stephen Kistler in Allentown. She grew up in Zionsville, graduated from Emmaus High School in 1964 and from Sarah Lawrence College in 1968, where modern dance was her area of concentration.

After graduation, she lived in New York City, performed as a modern dancer and worked as a trainer in the studio of Pilates pioneer Carola Trier. In 1972 she lived in Paris, France, employed by IBM. Upon her return to New York City, she received her nursing degree from Cornell Medical School.

In 1983, she began a 31-year career as an operating-room nurse at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center. There, she initiated and coordinated the hospital’s participation in the donation of usable but otherwise discarded medical supplies and received recognition for her commitment to the donation of blood and platelets (every two weeks). She participated in 23 volunteer surgical missions in Central and South America with Medical Missions for Children for cleft palate repairs and volunteered for a two-month tour of duty in Thailand caring for refugees.

She was one of the original members of the Laura Pawel Dance Company. Her last performance in 2018 marked the 50th anniversary of the group.

She is survived by a son, William “Jay” (Delia); sisters, Kathryn A. Powers, Dr. Priscilla J., Dr. Sarah E. (Steve); brother, William S. “Steve” (Julie); close friend and co-parent, Susan K. Rowe (Wendy); nephews, Alexander (Katherine), Peter (Catherine), Hiram (Jessica); many other much loved family members and friends.

Funeral and burial service will be held at St. Mark’s Evangelical Lutheran Church, 81 Main St., Pennsburg, Jan. 31. Open visitation will be held 10 a.m.; service will begin 11:30 a.m., with burial and luncheon to follow.

Memorial donations dedicated to “Emily Kistler” may be made to the Eastern Pennsylvania Wildlands Conservancy via wildlandspa.org or trees in her honor may be planted by the Arbor Day Foundation via arborday.org/treesinmemory.