Frank C. Nelson

Frank C Nelson, LtCdr, USN (Ret), 1929-2022

Our father passed away peacefully on Saturday, 19 Feb, surrounded by people who he loved and who loved him.

He made it just short of his 93rd complete trip around the sun. During these years he accomplished many things. He achieved a BS in Foundry Engineering; served in the US Navy; owned an art gallery and was an independent salesman of antiques and collectibles and became a published author. Needless to say he was also a husband and father, and a friend to many.

While serving in the US Navy, he was the meteorologist on board the USS Intrepid when they picked up Gemini 3; He flew through hurricanes to help our scientists gain a better understanding of these storms; He was a flight instructor; He flew secret missions that took photographs of our live and cold war foes, although he dissented from fighting in the War in Vietnam.

He was a man of uncompromising convictions, as seen by his dissent from Vietnam. He also had the strongest will of anyone we will ever meet. Earlier on he suffered from addictions to cigarettes and alcohol. He ended up quitting each of these cold turkey as he woke up one day and said enough.

He was also gifted with an unsatiable curiosity. When informed of a subject that was new to him, he took that as a personal challenge to learn about that subject.

He is survived by his wife, Virginia, 4 children; Paula (William) Barber; Ray (Sivi); Ken; and Karen (Matthew) Spiller, 7 grandchildren, his 3 stepchildren, Sue Royer; Jim (Garnell) Royer and Mark(Linda) Royer, and their families, who loved and respected him.

A memorial service will be planned for later in the year. We encourage friends to share their stories of Frank and if you want to take a few moments to honor him, please do so by visiting your local library and get your library card. Check out a great book to read while you are there.

To send flowers to the family or plant a tree in memory of Frank C. Nelson, please visit our floral store.