Jeffrey Tolin Nelson

Jeffrey Tollin Nelson passed away on December 14, 2024 in Boyds, Maryland at the age of 84. He was born on November 26, 1940 in Chicago, the only child to Raymond Cornelius Nelson and Thelma Evelyn “Evy” Olson. He is survived by his devoted wife, Peggy Sue Barksdale Nelson, two daughters Lisa Scrivener (John) and Lara Frashure (Jeff) and six grandchildren, Sarah (Daniel), Paul, Elaina, James, Emily, and Julia. Jeff lived in many places while growing up as his father worked for the Red Cross servicing military installations around the globe. His first five years were in the Chicago area where his parents both graduated from the University of Chicago and had family there. He then lived 8 years in the El Paso area while his dad was serving at Fort Bliss, Texas. His first two years of high school were in Stuttgart, Germany and the last two were in Fort Smith, Arkansas. He went to Texas Western College in El Paso and graduated in 1962 with a degree in chemistry and a minor in math. While there, he met the love of his life, Peggy Sue at a church function the summer before her senior year in high school. At the time of his college graduation, his parents were moved by the Red Cross to Japan.

Jeff attended graduate school at the University of Texas in Austin between 1962 and 1966. Peggy and Jeff were married on August 9, 1963 while Peggy was at Southwest Texas State. After graduating with a PhD in chemistry, he served his two years of active duty with the Army at Harry Diamond Labs (now Army Research Lab) in Adelphi, Maryland. Jeff and Peggy moved to Derwood, Maryland in 1969. He stayed at HDL for his entire career as a civilian researcher developing batteries for fuzes used by the Army. Later in his career, he was the head of the Risk Management division of the lab. He retired in 1997 (56 years old) to their vacation home in Deep Creek Maryland where they built an addition with the help of their family and friends. In 2016, they returned to Montgomery County to live in Boyds, Maryland to be near their daughters.

Jeff loved collecting old tools and coins, and working with wood on many projects. He enjoyed researching the genealogy of all the family members. He was the unofficial “mayor” of all the places he lived, getting to know the residents around him and providing assistance on any projects they had. While still working, he was active in his church, Mill Creek Parish UMC in Derwood where he was a part of Trustees, the handbell choir and youth mission trips. While in retirement in Deep Creek, Jeff was active in the Lions Club, was a trustee and the treasurer at St. Paul’s UMC, president of his homeowner’s association, participated with Habitat for Humanity, and was part of the Autumn Glory and Highland Festival planning committees. He also built tables for Frazier Instrument, a company owned by his son-in-law’s family.

Celebration of Life will be held on January 11, 2025 at 2:30pm at Mill Creek Parish United Methodist Church, 7101 Horizon Court , Derwood MD 20855 , with a reception afterwards.