LEWISBURG -- Florence Pyle, 94, a longtime resident of Lewisburg, passed away on Saturday, March 27, 2010, in the emergency room at Evangelical Community Hospital, Lewisburg.

She was born April 15, 1915, in Huron, S.D., the only child of John Shields and Florence (Bruce) Pyle. Her early years were spent in South Dakota on land claims in Butte and Fall River counties and in Huron and Belle Fourche. The family later moved to Dormont, a Pittsburgh suburb.

A 1932 graduate and class valedictorian of Mount Lebanon High School, she continued her education at Carnegie Institute of Technology, now Carnegie-Mellon University, graduating in 1936 with a bachelor's degree in public school music. While there, she was a member of the scholastic fraternity Phi Kappa Phi and Sigma Alpha Iota, a professional and honorary fraternity for women in music. In 1954, Florence received a master of arts degree from Bucknell University.

Florence taught and supervised music classes in Robinson Township, Allegheny County, schools from 1936 to 1939 and taught music privately from 1939 to 1942. In 1943, she entered college administration at Briarcliff Junior College, Briarcliff Manor, N.Y. In 1947, she joined the staff at Bucknell University, retiring as registrar emeritus in 1977. She also served as assistant secretary of the board of trustees. In 1972, she received the Wilkinson Award for Administrative Excellence.

From the time she became a member in 1926, Florence was active in Girl Scouts throughout her life. She served as leader, program adviser, counselor and administrator at several Girl Scout camps and as a board member on numerous committees. President of the local council from 1958 to 1963, she was active in the formation of the Hemlock Council. For several years, she served Hemlock as its director of public relations on a volunteer basis and also served as president from 1979 to 1982. For many years, she was the council's historian and archivist. She received the Golden Eaglet, Thanks Badge, Thanks Badge II and the Hemlock Award.

Other affiliations included First Presbyterian Church, Lewisburg, where she served on committees for publication of its 150-year history and for sponsorship of a Vietnamese family; Union County United Way, where she served on its board from its establishment in 1965 until 1991 and as president in 1982 and 1983; Seven Mountains Audubon Society since its beginning, first as editor and later as education chairwoman; Lewisburg Civic Club, which she served as secretary; Selinsgrove Alumnae Chapter of Sigma Alpha Iota, serving several years as editor; Senior Bucknellians; Bucknell Contemporary Book Club; and honorary member of the Lewisburg Chapter of Kiwanis International.

Over the years, she handled publicity for the Lewisburg Arts Festival, the capital campaign for the Public Library for Union County, Kiwanis, Habitat for Humanity, Civic Club house tour, United Way and the Girl Scouts.

Florence enjoyed the out-of-doors, travel, crafts, gardening and "rock-hounding." An amateur lapidary, she created a "before-and-after" display for the Geology Department at Bucknell.

She also compiled information on the Pyle Home Museum in Huron, S.D., which is on the National Register of Historic Places, and she published a book on the descendants of her great-grandfather, John Albert Rex Gorham Bruce.

A musicale and service of remembrance will be held at 10 a.m. Saturday, May 15, in Bucknell Hall on the Bucknell campus. Officiating will be her Sigma Alpha Iota sister, the Rev. Dr. Lois D. Martin, of Beaver Lutheran Church, Beaver Springs.

Inurnment will be at a later date in South Dakota.

Memorial donations may be made in Florence's memory to Buffalo Valley Lutheran Village, 889 Fairground Road, Lewisburg, PA 17837.

Arrangements are being handled by the Cronrath-Grenoble Funeral Home, South Second and St. Louis streets, Lewisburg.