Richard Carl Nelson

that came to an end,

he died as he lived,

everyone's friend.

In our hearts,

a memory

will always be kept,

of one we loved,

and will never forget.

April 2014 Obituary for Richard Carl Nelson, 1926-2014, As prepared by his son, Ronald Richard Nelson

Richard Carl Nelson was born December 9, 1926 in Oroville, California. He and his brother, Russ, then moved to Washington with their parents who were following the logging industry.

Dad started playing the trumpet in elementary school in Kirkland, Washington with Al Benest who was his music teacher all through his school years. In high school, he was in band with several notable friends including Bill Crow and Dick Rose, who both went on to become professional musicians, like Dad.

Dick Shinstrom, who became a prominent banker in Kirkland, was also in the band. Dad began playing professionally while still attending Kirkland High School.

After graduating in 1944, Dad was drafted into the Army as World War II was winding down. He was assigned to serve in the Army Band in the South Pacific and performed in Japan with General Douglas MacArthur’s occupational forces.

Following the War, Dad attended the University of Washington at which time he met our mom at a café in the University District where she worked. They married and moved to Randle, Washington for his first job as a music teacher. I was born while we lived there in Randle. My brother, Greg, was born two years later after Dad moved us to the Mukilteo School District.

Greg and I both had our father for a band teacher there briefly. Then he transferred to the Edmonds and Seattle School Districts shortly thereafter and eventually to Kent. We all moved to the Shoreline School District in North Seattle in December of 1965.

One memory I have is of Dad taking a piece of cedar and some newspaper to make a kite for us. That entertained us for an entire afternoon and remains with me forever as a fond moment together with he and Greg. From earliest childhood memory we have had the music of the Hayden Trumpet Concerto, or one of the many Carnival of Venice variations, still sounding in our “minds’ ear.”

As youth Greg and I enjoyed several fringe benefits because of having a father in show business. These include, but were not limited to, over a dozen free visits to the Seattle World’s Fair in 1962 where Dad played scores of performances at the visiting Circus Berlin show.

Other notable performances by Dad were his years with the Jackie Souters Orchestra at the Olympic Hotel, and Parker’s. He also played with Ken Noreen, Bill Kick, Bill Basson and Staff Miller as the Seattle Sonics Dixie Group for several years. We again had free passes into various basketball games. One time he even played the Star-Spangled Banner, unaccompanied, in center court at the Kingdome, prior to the start of a Sonics game.

Dad retired from school teaching in 1982. About 1987 at the Seattle Opera House he played a series with Norman Leyden’s Seattle Symphony Pops Concerts and performed the Bobby Hackett chorus of the famous Benny Goodman tune; And The Angels Sing.

While music was Dad’s main teaching subject area, he also taught Language Arts and Spanish on occasion. A favorite quip I used to hear him say was, “When I was a boy I couldn’t even spell English teacher, and now I are one.”

More recently I heard Dad confess that when he was just starting out he wished he might have gone to New York or someplace, like his friend, Bill Crow did. Though now that he could collect retirement benefits, he was glad to have taught school after all. He taught for thirty-two years, then lived for thirty-two years more.

Our late mother, Ethel Lydia Kanyid Nelson, passed away in the Spring of 2009. Dad sold his comfortable Lake City home and moved to Northgate Plaza Merrill Gardens in 2010.

About two years ago, Dad decided he wanted to move back to the area where he grew up. There happened to be a Merrill Gardens facility in Kirkland, so in the Fall of 2012 Dad went home to Kirkland. He often remarked how different Kirkland looks now.

About five months ago, Dad led a small combo that played at my wedding to Lauren in Davenport, Washington. I am so pleased he lived to see and entertain at this event.

The day before Valentine’s Day of this year, Dad fell at a favorite restaurant just blocks away from the site of his boyhood home, and broke his left hip. He underwent hip replacement surgery on Valentine’s Day, but never really recovered.

About one month to the day after his fall, Dad went to the Redmond Care and Rehabilitation Center, where he passed away after two weeks on March 29th. Lauren, Chantel, and I arrived two days prior to his passing and had an interesting visit with him.

Dad was unable to speak at that point. But he could shake or nod his head in agreement or disagreement. I told him that he might see some ancestors he knew coming to take him home to the other side. I asked him if he had seen any so far, to which he nodded his head in agreement. Various times thereafter, he appeared to scan the ceiling from side to side as if viewing some wondrous scene. However, I could never determine what else he saw.

Thanks for the memories, Dad. We are listening to your CDs of various trumpet players and Dixieland groups, etc. We think of you often; we miss you; and we love you always.

All are welcome to sign the online guestbook below and add any messages or stories for the Nelson family.