Donald Paul Nahser

Donald Paul Nahser of Roswell GA, born September 21, 1940, passed away on Thursday, October 27, 2022. Mr. Nahser was a true Atlanta native growing up on 2nd Avenue and attending East Lake Elementary, Murphy High School, and Georgia Institute of Technology. He worked as a salesman for Bell South for 33 years where he designed many ads for the Yellow Pages.

As a dedicated father and grandfather, Dad (or Pop) was an attentive spectator of youth sporting events, concerts, dance recitals, and countless performances of The Nutcracker. An avid camper and hiker, he spent decades leading his children through the forests of many National and State Parks. Mr. Nahser always enjoyed himself tremendously despite the fact that a majority of these trips were blessed with heavy rainstorms. He did the daily crossword puzzle in the AJC, loved to read, and completed several jigsaw puzzles a week. Mr. Nahser was a loyal friend to many and remained close to his childhood friends, Roy Pettway, brothers Allen and Paul Bowen, Mike Yancy, and Ed Richardson.

Besides his friends and family, Mr. Nahser’s second love was his church, St. David’s Episcopal Church which he and Mrs. Nahser attended for nearly 40 years. He was the model volunteer and served on every committee that would have him. He sang in the choir, served in the Brotherhood of St. Andrews, was a lay reader, a Eucharistic Minister, served on the transportation ministry, was a member of the Men’s Club where he cooked breakfast (blueberry pancakes were his specialty), and folded and mailed weekly church bulletins. He was the self-appointed head (and sole participant to) the transportation/set up/break down of handbells during the 20 years his wife was director of the bell choir.

Mr. Nahser believed in civic duty. He enlisted in the US Army Reserves in 1964 and served in communications. He received an honorable medical discharge when he was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes, however his desire for community service continued into his civilian life. He was a poll manager for Milton precinct ML04 in Fulton County for 50 years. He proudly wore the same patriotic tie every election day. He was a loyal attendee of Alpharetta City Council meetings for decades and was gifted with his usual chair and a piece of the floor from the old city hall building. Despite never playing an instrument, Mr. Nahser was the founder of the North Fulton Community Band, then when the city of Alpharetta approached him to do the same for their city, he founded the Alpharetta City Band and was selected Volunteer of the Year by the Alpharetta Parks and Rec Department. He taught the AARP Safe Driving class and enjoyed being a continuing education student through Roswell Senior Enriched Living classes.

As an Atlanta native, Mr. Nahser was a fervent supporter of the Falcons and the Braves and witnessed history from his seat in Atlanta Fulton County Stadium on April 8, 1974 when Hank Aaron broke the all-time home run record. His true sports allegiance however, belonged to his beloved Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets. He and Mrs. Nahser had season tickets to the home games for many years. Through the good seasons and the bad, Mr. Nahser was always watching, always cheering, ever hopeful that this would be a year where they would defeat their archrival, the Georgia Bulldogs.

He was preceded in death by his parents Albert and Anna Lee Nahser of Roswell, GA; his brother and sister-in-law Clifford and Marianne Nahser of Roswell, GA; his brother and sister-in-law Phillip and Mary Nahser of Burlington, NC; his daughter Jessica, and his grandson Joseph Patrick Rabel.

He is survived by his wife of 52 years Eileen Mahady Nahser; his daughter and son-in-law Katie and Huitt Rabel and grandchildren Maggie, John and James of Canton GA; his daughter and son-in-law Donna and Jeremy Blalock and granddaughters Kellen and Gwenyth of Huntsville, AL, and his daughter Elizabeth Nahser of Manassas, VA. Mr. Nahser was proud to be Uncle Don to his many nieces, nephews and their children and grandchildren, and was especially close to his nephew Clifford Wade Nahser (Buzz) of Roswell, GA.

Services will be held at St. David’s Episcopal Church in Roswell on Saturday, November 5 at 10 AM with interment at Green Lawn Cemetery. A reception hosted by the Daughters of the King at St. David’s will follow.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta in honor of his daughter Jessica and grandson Joseph, or the choir at St. David’s Episcopal Church, or the Alpharetta City Band at Alpharetta.ga.us.