On January 30, 2020, George Antony Nelson, 68, ended his battle with cancer. Through sheer willpower and strength, George was the master of his cancer and was able to talk with loved ones that couldn’t be with him in his final days.
Born in Liptovsky Hradok, Slovakia, he was the son of the late Joseph Ksiazek and Katarina Platta Ksiazek and brother of the late Marianna Janicekova, survived by her husband, Milan Janicek Sr.
He is survived by his amazing and strong wife of 29 years, Cindy L. Nelson, and his two daughters, Marcie Lynn (27) and Julie Marie (24) Nelson.
He is also survived by his beloved sister, Anna M. Vehovsky, and her husband, Gabriel J. Vehovsky, along with nephews Gabriel G. Vehovsky (spouse Jaime J. Vehovsky) and Milan Janicek Jr. (spouse Martina Janicek) and nieces Anna J. McMahan (spouse Doug McMahan) and Katarina Kmecova (spouse Juraj Kmec).
He immigrated to America when he was 17, taught himself English, and quickly became one of the most valuable mechanical engineers in the Northeast. George specialized in manufacturing and design; he was capable of figuring out a solution when no one else could.
He relocated his family from Schaumburg, Illinois to Greenville, South Carolina in 1995 to enable Cindy to stay at home and raise their two daughters, enjoy a slower pace, and pursue his lifelong dream of owning his own business. He accomplished that dream when he and Cindy owned Carolina Tool Works, Inc. from 2000-2019.
George loved his family and friends, a cold beer by a warm fire, practical jokes, well-behaved dogs, and snow skiing (especially in the Spring). He was happiest making people laugh and was incredibly proud of his daughters for carrying on the family ski tradition. They will be honoring him every year with trips to the highest mountains with the best snow.
A celebration of his life will be held Wednesday, February 5, 2020 at 5:00 p.m. at Mackey Funerals and Cremations at Century Drive. The family will receive friends following the service at Mackey until 8:30 p.m.
George and Cindy believe in the need for more research, additional trials, and availability for both traditional and alternative treatment options for such a cruel disease. One such alternative treatment, Mistletoe IV Therapy, was George’s chosen last stand. While his cancer was aggressive and Mistletoe did not work for George, it has cured cancer and saved the lives of countless others around the world.
In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to BelieveBig.org, https://believebig.org/donate/ the organization that is funding a clinical trial for Mistletoe Therapy.
In addition, a Catholic funeral mass will be held at St. Matthew Parish, in Schaumburg, Illinois on February 11, 2020 at 9:30 a.m. for extended family and friends.
