Thomas Nelson

Memorial service: 11 a.m. Friday at Meadowbrook United Methodist Church.

Memorials: In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to Meadowbrook United Methodist Church, 3900 Meadowbrook Drive, Fort Worth, Texas 76103; or Happy Hill Farm, 3846 N. Highway 144, Granbury, Texas 76046.

He was born July 20, 1926, in Daphne, Ala., to Thomas Jefferson Nelson and Lucy Jacobsen Nelson. He was a member of Meadowbrook UMC and the Upper Room Class for 55 years.

Tom was a veteran of World War II serving in the U.S. Navy. He attended Springhill College, Mobile, Ala., and UTA. He retired after serving 37 years with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers as a hydraulic engineer. He was a member of the Fort Worth Audubon Society, American Birding Association, North Texas Woodcarvers Guild, Woodturners of North Texas, was a former troop leader of Boy Scout Troop 512, and was an instructor in the senior program of Tarrant County College.

He was preceded in death by wife, Minnie; son, Thomas Donald "Tad"; brother, George; sister, Shirley Thomas; and his parents.

In 1974 he married Helen and they traveled extensively in their VW camper, birding and hiking after retirement and traveling to Alaska, the Maritime Provinces, all 48 states and most of Canada. Tom was an expert woodcarver and turner and in recent years specialized in birds, and had a myriad of wonderful friends in the carving and birding community. He was also a longtime member of Friday Gulls, a local senior birding group.

Our heartfelt thanks to Dr. Alan Davenport, Dr. Nobel Ezukamna and Dr. Claudio Lehmann for their care the last year and to Vitas Hospice for their loving care during the last days.

Survivors: Wife, Helen; daughters, Karen Craft (Ross) of Houston; Donna Smith of Fort Worth; stepson Curtis Fortinberry (Neely); stepdaughter, Carolyn Fortinberry, also of Fort Worth; grandchildren, Jennifer Klekas (Bill), Michael Fortinberry (Tami), Travis Smith (Becky), Gary McWhorter (Angela), Nikki Paris (Chris), Crystal Grube and Addison Fortinberry; great-grandchildren, Taylor and Brynn Smith, Whitney Kovar, Peyton Fortinberry, and Victoria and Nix McWhorter; great-great-grandson, Dakotah Beene; brothers, Larry and Bill Nelson, both of Florida; sisters, Betty Estep of Georgia and Virginia Hurn; sister-in-law, Carolyn Nelson, both of Mobile, Ala.; brother-in-law, Brandon Clausen of Destin, Fla.; special friends, Dorothy Sowell, LaNell Simpson, Robin Jones, Debbie Severson and Lezah Kratz.

Arrangements under the direction of Shannon Rose Hill Funeral Chapel & Cemetery, Fort Worth, TX.