Nan Nelson (nee Schmalz) passed away peacefully on Aug. 20, 2024 at Mary’s Woods in Lake Oswego, Oregon. She was 92.
Nan Nelson, 92, passed away on Aug. 20. A graveside service will be held at a later date.
Nan was born on Oct. 1, 1931 in Jersey City, New Jersey. She was raised in Darien and graduated from Darien High School in 1949.
In 1953, Nan graduated from Russell Sage College in Troy, New York with a major in home economics, specializing in clothing and textile. Nan married Raymond Ryder Nelson, a graduate of Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, in 1953.
They lived in Concord, Massachusetts for many years with their three children, Alan R. Nelson of Beaverton, Oregon, Keith E. Nelson of Baton Rouge, Louisiana and Karen E. Kahler of Fort Collins, Colorado.
Nan was very active in church and community activities wherever she lived. She was an avid knitter and her beautiful baby sweaters have been enjoyed by family members and friends across the country.
She and Ray enjoyed a wonderful retirement in Hilton Head, South Carolina. After Ray died in 2005, Nan moved to Mary’s Woods in Lake Oswego, Oregon where she served on numerous resident commitees and enjoyed being close to family.
Nan is preceded in death by her husband, Raymond R. Nelson, and her parents, Rev. Alfred and Kathryn Schmalz. She is survived by her children: Alan (Laura), Keith (Nina) and Karen (Quain); her brother, Robert Schmalz (Anne); her grandchildren: Daniel Nelson (Alissa), Craig Nelson (Kelly), Robert Kahler (Anna), James Kahler, GiGi Nelson, and Ryder Nelson; and her great-grandchildren: Anna Nelson, Clara Nelson, Edward Nelson, and Felix Nelson
A graveside service will be held at the Beaufort National Cemetery in Beaufort, South Carolina at a later date.
Memorial gifts may be given to the Resident Fund at Mary’s Woods, Lake Oswego, Oregon.
— an obituary from Riverview Abbey Funeral Home, where online condolences may be left