Harold Hal Kenneth Nelson

Hal (Kenneth as a kid) grew up on farms in Kansas and Nebraska with the responsibilities of farm chores. As a typical teenager he joined the high school football, basketball and track teams, serving the duo purpose of satisfying his athletic desire and getting him out of farm work (mainly milking cows). It was fairly common for farm kids to live in town while going to school and playing sports. Cars were expensive and it was hard for his parents to get away from the farm chores to take him to school and activities. Hal rarely did any homework while getting A's on all his tests which frustrated his parents, teachers and principal.

The military draft was in effect and he knew he didn't want to be a farmer or foot soldier so he joined the U.S. Navy. He served in the Korean War (1950-1952) as Quartermaster Communication Specialist on the Admiral Staff Service Squadron, stationed in Japan. Every so often during the Korean War his ship would go into enemy water, and they would throw out wooden targets as shooting practice so they could get combat pay. While in Japan he joined a local Japanese judo club and developed his hand to hand combat skills with native Japanese members. A majority of the members of the judo club were Japanese.

Hal received his BS and MS in Chemical Engineering at the University of Washington. During his college years, he was given honors with Tau Beta Pi, Sigma Xi, Baker Award and Rayonier Award. Selected by the Dean of Engineering as one of two outstanding engineering seniors, class of 1956. He designed a multipurpose interface between measuring systems for the space shuttle.

My favorite line was from the movie, Roots, "I don't sees you with my eyes, I sees you with my heart". So lovely I engraved this saying on his wedding necklace. The wedding necklace is an airplane mounted on a gold circle and on our twenty-five year anniversary a ruby was placed in the driver's seat.

Written by Hal's wife, Carole, with all of her love.