Claudia Jean Nelson

Born in California, Claudia grew up with five brothers in a home filled with laughter and imagination. Her father, a cartoonist for Walt Disney, inspired her lifelong creativity and sense of wonder. After graduating from Philmont Christian Academy in 1966, she had a brief marriage with her high school sweetheart Jeffrey Miller bringing Victoria Miller Raymer into the world. During this time, she went to Philadelphia Community College. In 1975 she moved to Pensacola, Florida discovering her passion for employment recruiting, where she became one of the top corporate recruiters in the Southeast.

A blind date led her to the love of her life, Jerry Nelson. Together for 49 years, they built a beautiful life together from running Nelson’s Bar and Liquor, a community hub for locals and Navy families, to pursuing new adventures side by side. Later, Claudia found joy in real estate, helping others find homes filled with love and laughter like her own.

A woman of many talents, Claudia was also a passionate antique collector with a deep appreciation for history and craftsmanship. Her collections of quilts, baskets, vintage toys, and other treasures reflected her keen eye and love for stories from the past. She was a gifted artist who expressed herself through oil painting, watercolor, and various crafts. Claudia was an active member of several art groups and cherished the friendships and adventures she found through creative retreats making friends who became family.

Unapologetically herself, Claudia was a force of nature - vibrant, witty, and full of life. To know her was to be welcomed into her orbit of laughter, love, and adventure. She cherished being “Grandma” to her three grandchildren and made countless memories traveling to see them. Her greatest joys were spending time with family, exploring new places, meeting people, and sharing her boundless creativity with others.

Claudia is survived by her devoted husband, Jerry Nelson; her daughter Victoria Raymer and son-in-law Derek Raymer; her stepson Shawn Nelson; and her beloved grandchildren Ashton, Sophia, and Cole. She is also survived by her brothers Larry, Ronnie, David, and John Lockman, along with their spouses and children she loved. She is also survived by her brother-in-law Larry Nelson; nieces and nephews Chad Nelson (wife Sara, daughters Alexis and Hazel), Linsey (considered a second daughter) and Tim Landosky (children Alivia and Landon), and Tracy Nelson (sons Zack and Asher); as well as many other cherished family members and friends. She was preceded in death by her parents Jean and Vic Lockman, brother Mark Lockman, Jeffrey Miller, nephew Jared Lockman, and sister-in-law Dorothy.

Claudia’s legacy lives on through the countless lives she touched in the laughter she inspired, the art she created, and the love she poured into everyone fortunate enough to know her.