Nils was born April 20, 1931, in Bellingham, WA, to Frank Hedberg and Karin Strom. He graduated from Bellingham High School in 1949, and joined the U.S. Air Force in October, 1950.
During his 4 years in the service, his most significant assignment was with the 47th Fighter Interceptor Squadron in Niagara Falls, NY, but he also spent time in Suwon, Korea, Biloxi, MS, Yuma, AZ, and Denver, CO. He attained the rank of Staff Sergeant and was awarded the Korean Service Medal, the U.N. Service Medal, and the National Defense Service Medal.
On Halloween, 1954, ten days after being honorably discharged, he proposed to Janet Lee Mollhagen, and they were married in May, 1955. They were married for 56 years until her death in February, 2012.
After graduating from Michigan State University with a Bachelor of Science in Packaging Technology in 1959, he accepted a job as a Mechanical Design Engineer in the Missile Division of Chrysler Corporation. He remained there until 1962, when he went to work for General Motors. He and Jann built a house in Shelby Township in 1963, and he spent many happy hours tending his garden and flowers, and perfecting his lawn. He was also a lifelong baseball fan, a good fisherman, and a skilled and very lucky card player. He and Jann were also avid square dancers for many years.
He retired from GM in 1987, after which he took a part time job at A&G Hardware, learned to golf, and joined a bowling team. He also discovered a love of reading and particularly enjoyed the works of Michael Connelly, Daniel Silva, and Anne Perry. He also enjoyed going on golfing trips with friends and visiting his family in the Seattle area of Washington state.
Nils is survived by his daughter Jennifer (Chris) Keller, his beloved cat Annabelle, many cousins, nieces and nephews, dear friends, and his famous red truck. (Which is still not for sale.)
Cremation is private at the Countryside Crematory with memorial services to be held at a later date. In lieu of flowers, the family asks that donations be made to the Shelby Township (MI) Public Library, Leader Dogs for the Blind, and the Michigan Animal Rescue League, Inc.
