Victor Verner(Vern) Nelson of Nelson, BC passed away at his home on January 18, 2017 aged 85 years.
Born in Kelowna on September 16, 1931 to Vern and Olive Nelson, Vern (nicknamed Sonny in the family) was a lifelong resident of Nelson. Throughout his life he enjoyed outdoor activities in the surrounding area. An avid fisherman, hunter and pilot, he went where the fishing was good and the huckleberries ripe! As a young boy, he enjoyed creating things out of whatever was available and, at age 16, he built a small, single passenger motorcar(“the Bug”) and had it licensed for the highway.
His working life started in the late 1940’s at Hesse’s Machine Shop on Stanley street in Nelson and, throughout the 50’s, 60’s and 70’s, he worked for Kootenay Forest Products ending with a long tenure as head of maintenance. Retiring at 50 years old in the early 80’s, he spent his time enjoying life. His ability to fix just about anything was well known among his friends and family, and that, as well as his outdoor pursuits, took up his retirement years. Dogs were also a constant in his early outdoor life and his later years would see him joining the other dog-walkers along the waterfront pathways of Nelson.
Vern was predeceased by his parents, his brother Ron Nelson, sister Doreen Baxter and nephew Adrian Nelson.
He will be greatly missed by friends and his family, sister-in-law, Georgina(Ron) Nelson, nephew Ross Nelson(Gail) and family(Erik, Louis and Anna), niece Janis(nee Nelson) Giroux and family(Chloe and Fiona), brother Jim Nelson and his extended family, Linda Stewart, Linda’s sons, Chris Dawson-Murphy(Jennifer) and family(Ava and Wesley) and Ian Dawson-Murphy(Siri) and family(Eli and Emmett), niece-in-law Heidi(Adrian) Nelson and family(Jack), and the Terry, Garry and Ron Baxter families.
Great memories! Much loved! See you on the other side of the mountain!
Thanks to all friends of Vern and of Vern’s family for their concern and offers of help at this time.
Thanks to the Thompson Funeral Service for all the help in arranging Vern’s cremation.
A memorial to celebrate Vern’s life’s will be held in the summer months.