Jens Jerome Dane Nielsen

Jens was born in New Orleans on May 10,1938 and grew up in Algiers. He attended Behrman High School and Tulane University, where he received B.S. and M.S. degrees in Civil Engineering and played football. He had a long successful career in civil engineering, playing a role in many New Orleans projects. He met the love of his life, Diane Louise Hotard, in high school and they celebrated 65 years of marriage this year. Jens and Diane settled in their current Gretna home in 1968 and the family joined St. Cletus Catholic Church Parish in its early days.

The focus of Jens’s life was always faith and family. Each summer Jens and Diane loaded up the station wagon and headed out to show their five children different areas of the country. They enjoyed Tulane football, baseball, and weekends at “The Coast” in Pass Christian, MS. Jens also enjoyed Mardi Gras, skiing with the family, photography, videography, painting, woodwork, and fishing. The countless wonderful memories that his family is left to cherish often included their large extended Nielsen/Hotard/Dauenhauer family that has remained very close over the years.

Jens is survived by his wife Diane, children Jennifer N. Hart (Stuart), Shelley N. Bergeron (Jeffrey), Stacey N. Chalin (Rick), Nancy N. Hosman (Mitch), and Jens Nielsen, Jr. (Christy); grandchildren Stuart Hart, Jr. (Christina), Spencer Hart (Amber), Evan Hart (Meghan), Alicia Bergeron Smith (Matthew), Jeffrey Bergeron, Jr. (Lauren), Jonathan Bergeron (Stephanie), Aimee Chalin, Rebecca Chalin Nguyen (Allen), Dane Chalin, Matthew Hosman (Colette), Elizabeth Hosman Verstegen (Tyler), Vanessa Hosman (James Kindrick), William Hosman, Caroline Nielsen Wallis (Andrew), Jens Nielsen III, Christian Nielsen, and Lane Nielsen; and great-grandchildren Juliette, Miles, Luke, Connor, Camila, Ethan, Rosemary, Oliver, Theodore, Evelyn, Amelia, Hazel, Charlie, Harrison, and Jamie. Jens is also survived by his sister Karen Nielsen, sister-in-law Nancy Hingle; brother-in-law Alvin Hotard, Jr.; and many nieces, nephews, and cousins.

He was preceded in death by his parents Mary Mine Nielsen and Eric Christian Marius Nielsen; brothers Eric Nielsen and Thomas Nielsen; mother-in-law Dorothy LeBlanc Hotard; father-in-law Alvin Edgar Hotard; brothers-in-law J. Perry Hotard and Robert Hingle; sisters-in-law Nancy V. Nielsen, Nellie Nielsen, and Cecile Hotard; and grandson Blake Chalin.

A Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated at St. Cletus Catholic Church, 3600 Claire Avenue, Gretna, on Saturday, September 19 at 12 Noon. Visitation in the Church will precede the Mass from 9:30-11:45AM.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests prayers and donations in Jens’s memory to St. Cletus Renovation Campaign, Spina Bifida of Louisiana, Breakthrough T1D, or your favorite charity.