Doris Lee Nistler passed away peacefully on September 22, 2026, shortly after her 90th birthday.
Born on September 5, 1936, to Rose and Robert Nistler, Doris was the youngest of their five children. She grew up with her siblings in the Bevo neighborhood of St. Louis, Missouri, and was the last surviving sibling.
After graduating from Cleveland High School, Doris worked at Monsanto and traveled the world. She later moved to Santa Barbara, California. She earned her law degree from Whittier College in 1978 and passed the California bar exam on her first try.
Doris began her legal career at Miller & Folse in Thousand Oaks, California. In 1983, she joined four fellow senior associates in establishing a new law firm. Three years later, she opened her own practice, the Law Offices of Doris L. Nistler. She brought intelligence, determination, and a strong sense of right and wrong to her work.
Doris retired and closed her law firm on June 30, 1996. She and her beloved partner, Linda, moved back to St. Louis to be near Doris’s sisters and family. While Linda worked and pursued her master’s degree, Doris learned to cook and took care of the house. Their St. Louis home had a large yard, and on the days Doris wasn’t playing golf, she kept busy tending her garden. Golf was a big part of her life, and she played a couple of days a week in leagues in Creve Coeur and Ballwin and with the St. Louis Women’s Golf Club.
Doris joined the American Association of University Women (AAUW) in the late 1990s and remained an active member until recently. She held many offices within the organization and especially loved helping with its legal advocacy work and bylaws.
Doris and Linda shared 40 years together, building a life rooted in love, companionship, and mutual support. They were devoted partners who stood by each other through every season of life and celebrated each other’s accomplishments. They traveled extensively to many wonderful places, loved entertaining, and found plenty to laugh about along the way. They especially enjoyed playing games with their game group.
Family was a big part of Doris and Linda’s lives. They treasured time with their relatives and built friendships so close that their friends became family, too. Linda was a constant presence at Doris’s side, and the two shared a deep understanding of one another that grew through the years. Their home was a place where people felt welcomed, cared for, and included.
As Doris’s health began to decline, she and Linda downsized and moved to The Willows at Brooking Park in 2018. They faced this transition together, making a new home and continuing to find joy in their community and in each other’s company. Doris enjoyed being part of the community there. She played mahjong and bridge, joined the music club, and was instrumental in writing the bylaws that established the resident’s council. Music had long been part of her life; she played the piano for most of it. As she became unable to do many of the things she once loved, mystery puzzles kept her entertained.
Doris was generous, loving, funny, sincere, and strong-willed. She knew herself, knew what she wanted, and held firm to what she believed was right. She was a wonderful partner to Linda and a loving daughter, sister, aunt, and friend. Those who knew her will miss her kindness, her sense of humor, quick wit, and the joy of being with her.
SERVICES: Graveside service will be held at Sunset Memorial Park (10180 Gravois Rd., 63123) on Saturday, October 3rd, 2026 at 11:30 AM