Obituary of John E. Nelson

John Edwin Nelson, aged 84, of Brookdale Assisted Living in Lakewood, and formerly of 402 Park Street, Jamestown, passed away on 7th October at UPMC Hamot, Erie, PA. John was born at WCA hospital on 12th March 1931, a child of C. Edwin and Ruth (Anderson) Nelson. He graduated from JHS with the class of 1949 and helped organize their reunions. John studied engineering at Purdue University on an ROTC scholarship, joining the Alpha Chi Rho fraternity. After graduating in 1953, he took up his commission as a 1st Lieutenant in the US Air Force. They trained him as an aerial photographer, leaving him with a lifelong passion for taking pictures. When he was posted to Japan to serve with the US Occupying Forces, he was assigned to manage the officers club and so also had to learn to golf. On returning in 1956 John bought a red Austin Healy in San Francisco and drove it cross country to Schenectady, NY to marry Dolores C. Guarneri, whom he had met at Purdue. The couple both worked for General Electric in NY for a time and then moved to Louisville, KY where their son Robert was born in 1959. In 1960 the family moved back to Jamestown so that John could join his late brother, Charles A. Nelson, in the family business, Nelson Bros. Lumber. They built the house at Park Street, moving in shortly after the birth of their daughter Kathy in 1961. John soon turned an interest in coins and stamps into a full time business selling to collectors. Although he had stores in downtown Jamestown for a time, he found it more effective to focus on mail-order. He operated as the "Professional Philatelist" via PO Box 999 for almost 50 years. John retained an engineer's interested in machines and technology, running his own printing press, buying one of the first electronic calculators available, then computers and finally becoming a highly rated seller on eBay. John enjoyed a number of hobbies over the many years of his life, putting himself into each with great passion as it captured his interest. As well as photography and golf, he also built and raced model airplanes, fished, travelled in Europe, made home movies and completed jigsaw puzzles. John is survived by his wife, Dolores (aka Dee), currently residing at Heritage Green Rehabilitation Center in Greenhurst, NY, his sisters Louise (David) Rhodes and Kathryn Kotsi, both of Jamestown, his son Robert (Mary Kalski) of Randallstown, MD, daughter Kathryn (James Henshaw) and granddaughters Helen and Jane, all of Reading, England, his nephew Tom (Debbie) Nelson of Jamestown, his niece Mary (Bill) Bouck of Toledo and their daughters. The family will receive friends from 2 to 4 and 6 to 8 p.m. Wednesday in the Lind Funeral Home. A private memorial service will be held at the convenience of the family. In lieu of flowers, donations to the Salvation Army 83 South Main Street Jamestown, NY 14701.