Carolyn Rae Nelson

Carolyn was the beloved wife of Jack Nelson for 40 years. She was the loving mother of Jack Nelson, Jr. and his fiancé Amber, and Danielle Duffy and her husband John. Carolyn was the proud grandmother of Gavin Wescott, Rowan Nelson, and Owen Duffy. Carolyn was the sister of Margaret Oplotnik and the late Charlene Watson. She is also survived by her niece Christie Oplotnik and nephew Cody Watson.

She is preceded in death by her husband Jack, her parents, and her youngest sister, Charlene.

Carolyn grew up in Kansas City and after finishing school at North Kansas City High School, she spent a year traveling and working in Europe. While in Germany, she met her future husband, Jack, who was there on active military duty. The two connected when they both returned to the states. They married in 1968 and began life as a military family living in many places. Of the many places she lived, Boston was one of her favorites. She also enjoyed their mountain home in Ruidoso, NM, where she lived for almost 20 years. Because of the military travel, she had many jobs, but she was a dental assistant by trade and practiced in many places they lived. Carolyn cherished her family and maintained a close relationship with them. She was a very active and loving mother and played a strong role in her three grandchildren’s lives. Carolyn showed her deep devotion to family by compassionately caring for her father, mother, and husband during their end-of-life struggles. She was very sociable and loved to wander through small retail shops visiting with people. She loved to travel, and despite her three-year struggle with cancer, she was able to travel to Alaska, New England, and Michigan while undergoing chemo treatments.

A Celebration of Life will be held at a later date and announced here once scheduled.