Richard "Dick" Nelson

His transition into Eternal Life came peacefully at home in the arms of his beloved wife and loyal pets by his side. He was born in Kent County, Maryland, on the 12th of May 1930, the 2nd child of Marian and Roland Nelson, a Methodist Minister.

Dick began a highly respected 40-year career in the hotel industry with Hilton Hotel Corporation where he spent 15 years in various management positions around the country. He departed Hilton as GM, Statler Hilton now the Capital Hilton, Washington, D.C., and joined the Hyatt family in 1972. Dick held various GM positions with Hyatt including GM Hyatt Regency Downtown Houston, 1972-1980. He retired from the day-to-day operations as Vice President and Managing Director of the Grand Hyatt Washington, a 900-room hotel he opened in 1987.

In 1996, the Vice President Emeritus Hyatt Hotels and Resorts a graduate of Duke University and the Cornell School of Hotel Administration (CHS). He returned to his beloved Cornell as Executive-in Residence for the Spring Semester of 1997.

Some of Professor Nelson’s fondest memories with his new bride were of evenings hiking through the snow after evening classes to join his graduate students at the College Town Pub. In that aspect, not much had changed since his student days. At the same time, he began his 1997-98 tenure as President of the Cornell Society of Hotelmen, marking the School’s 75th Anniversary. During his Presidency, he traveled extensively (Europe, Asia, Central America and across the U.S.) addressing trends in the hospitality industry and the Hotel School.

Throughout his career, nothing gave Dick more pleasure than to mentor those who worked with him, the students at Cornell and anyone who sought him for advice. Those who worked with him learned firsthand what it is to be an excellent hotelier, responsible manager, industry champion, community leader and most importantly, a truly dignified leader.

Dick was past President of the American Hotel & Motel Association, the Washington, D.C. Hotel & Motel Association, and the Washington Convention and Visitors Association. He served as Chairman of the 1998 International Hotel & Motel, Restaurant Show (New York), the largest U.S. trade show featuring the hotel/motel industry. He was Director, Greater Washington Society of Association Executives (GWSAE), an organization of trade association executives and meeting planners.

Besides the many career and business affiliations, he always found time to give to those organizations that build a better community by helping the less fortunate and that represented his strong faith, his love of God and Country: The YMCA of Greater Washington D.C., Anchor Mental Health, and John Carroll Society, an organization of Catholic professionals who serve as advisors to the Archdioceses of Washington, D.C.

His service to his country started at Duke University ROTC, followed by a 2-year Navy deployment as LTJG during the Korean War. In later years, he helped strengthen the role of the U.S. Navy Memorial as a Trustee.

Among the many honors received are: 1994 Leader of the Year by the Greater Washington Board of Trade; 1996 Capitol Achievement Award by the Washington Convention and Visitors Association; and the Man of the Year by the National Academy of Tourism Organizations. He was inducted as a Knight of the Sovereign Order of Malta, 1996. A personal honor for him was celebrating 50 years as an active Member of Alfalfa Club of Washington D.C. at their 107th Annual Dinner in January 2020. Two special longstanding traditions were attending the Tavern Club annual dinner in New York and the Christmas dinner of The Committee in Houston.

Richard C. Nelson and his Texas bride, the Hon Stella Guerra Nelson, returned to call Houston home. Returning to the dynamic city, he enjoyed and reunited with fellow Hyatt friends and colleagues.

Together they enjoyed family, friends, meeting people, music, performing arts and life! His golf memberships in Burning Tree, Washington Golf & Country Club and Pine Forrest allowed him to enjoy the game he loved most.

They traveled and cruised extensively all over the world and enjoyed music, a shared passion. At Duke, Dick was a member of the Glee Club, Chapel Choir, and a Barbour Shop Quartet. In 2011, both joined the St. Michael the Archangel Music Ministry where he remained as a member until 2018. While the Nelsons have no children, they have acquired several through the years that have remained lifelong friends.

Besides his parents, Dick was preceded in death by his brother, Dr. Roland Nelson.

He is survived by his beloved wife, Stella; sisters-in-law, Josefa G. Karaze and Eva G. Ninman (Phil) of Houston, and 10 nieces and nephews, their spouses, and children.

Always a gracious gentleman with a warm smile and a twinkle in his blue eyes, he personally thanked everyone that attended to his health for their services.

Special thanks to: The Hyatt Hotel Family, Dr. Franco DeMonte, NeuroSurgeon MD Anderson, Dr. Mya Schiess, Neurologist, Crossroads Hospice and their professional and caring staff who have been on our journey, Everlie Pontrelli, Personal Trainer, Arnetta Meekins, Therapist, and Elizabeth Darden, Sonny Abutin, Caregivers for the last 5 months.

Friends are cordially invited to a visitation with the family from three until five o'clock in the afternoon on Thursday, the 2nd of December, at St. Michael the Archangel Catholic Church, 1801 Sage Road in Houston, where a Recitation of the Holy Rosary is to commence at four o’clock.

A Mass of Christian Burial is to be offered at two o'clock in the afternoon on Friday, the 3rd of December, at St. Michael the Archangel Catholic Church, where Fr. Wayne W. Wilkerson will celebrate.

The interment will be held at ten o’clock in the morning on Saturday, the 4th of December, at Memorial Oaks Cemetery in Houston, where Fr. Michael Murray of Washington, D.C. will offer the Rite of Committal.

In lieu of customary remembrances, the family requests with gratitude that memorial contributions in honor of Mr. Nelson be directed to the Houston Area Parkinson’s Society, 2700 Southwest Freeway, Suite 296, Houston, Texas 77098; to The Richard C. Nelson Scholarship at Cornell University School of Hotel, Cornell University, PO Box 37344, Boone, IA, 50037-0334 (please specify designation in the memo area); or to The United States Navy Memorial, 701 Pennsylvania Avenue NW, Washington, D.C. 20004-2608.