Neal Robert Nelson of Bayside, Queens, passed away on August 30th, 2021, at the age of 62 following a lengthy battle with congestive heart failure. Neal was born in Washington D.C., and at three days old, adopted by his parents, Harry & Ethel Nelson. Neal was raised in Bayside, Queens as an only child. Growing up wasn't always easy for Neal. His father passed away when he was at the young age of nine years old. Soon after his father's passing, Neal lived with his Aunt Rita & Uncle Dick in Fairlawn, NJ, for a few years. They raised him along with his cousins Neil, Robin, Ronnie, Brian, and Cindy. Neal moved back home when he was in his mid-teens and made lifelong friendships with his 205 park crew.
Neal, being adopted, always wondered the unknown if he had any siblings. With the nudging of his daughter, Heather, he did a 23 & Me test. He was overjoyed Christmas of 2018 when he found out he had siblings. His brother, Franklin, found Neal and sent him an email. He discovered his new family, Franklin and Francine, and over these last few years, Neal developed a close relationship with them.
After serving in the Navy, Neal met the love of his life, Laurie. They married in 1998 and had their two beautiful children together, Heather & Danny. Neal worked for the New York City Department of Sanitation, where he became very active in the Columbia Association and the Hebrew Society. He loved his job, but due to the development of his heart failure in 2014, he, unfortunately, was forced to retire early.
Neal was a force of nature and was determined to live life to the fullest, in which he did. He was always there for you if you needed a hand, whether you needed a ride to the doctor, help with the garden, changing a flat tire, help with repairing your snowblower, lawnmower, boat, or whatever other help you may have needed.
He is survived by his wife, Laurie Nelson, and two children, Heather, 22 and Danny, 19.
In lieu of flowers, the family request donations be made to the American Heart Association or the GoFundMe page that was created to help cover the costs of the funeral expenses.
A visitation for Neal will take place on Wednesday from 3pm-7pm with a Funeral Service at 5:30pm at the Frederick Funeral Home 192-15 Northern Blvd Flushing, NY 11358.
Fond memories and expressions of sympathy may be shared at www.frederick-fh.com for the Nelson family.
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