Doug was born the son of Alfred Neilson and Emily (Bloxham) Neilson in Coventry England on May 12, 1930. Doug grew up in Coventry during the fierce fighting of World War II in England. At age 14 he left school to work in a shop. At 16 he became an apprentice pattern maker. He would employ these skills first in England and then throughout his career in the United States at various shops in Indiana and Michigan. Doug sailed to the United States on the Queen Mary in 1963. He met his wife Roberta Koeneman in the summer of 1964, and they were married on July31, 1966 at St. John Lutheran Church in Monroeville, Indiana. Doug and his family moved to the Detroit area in 1977. Doug work at General Motors from 1979 until his retirement from there in 2006.
In his free time, Doug loved photography, traveling, and studying the history of WWII.
Doug is survived by his loving wife Roberta; daughter Ann Neilson; nieces Amanda Twigg, Glenda (John) Spellacy, and Christine Masterson; and nephews Adrian (Janet) Oddy and David Neilson. He was predeceased by his parents, his brother Alfred Neilson; and sisters Winifred Oddy and Margaret Isaac.
Doug’s family will welcome everyone to a memorial gathering on Friday April 8th, 2022 from 3 p.m. until the time of the memorial service at 4 p.m. at Pixley Funeral Home, located at 322 W. University Drive in downtown Rochester, Michigan.
Memorial contributions may be made to the Lutheran Hour Ministries online at www.lhm.org or to the St. John Lutheran Church and School, Love for Others fund. Envelopes will also be available for both charities at Pixley Funeral Home.
