He was the husband of Dorothea Potter Nelson of East Dennis, Mass. They were married in Ridgewood, New Jersey at Mount Carmel Catholic Church by Father Edward Kirk and recently celebrated their 68th wedding anniversary.
Mr. Nelson, a native of Franklin Park, Illinois graduated from Leyden Community High School in 1938. He attended the University of Illinois until June 1941, when he enlisted in the U.S. Naval Air Corp, where he served from June 1941 until Oct. 1945. He received the wings and was commissioned an Ensign in May 1942 in Corpus Christi, Texas.
During World War II he was attached to the U.S.S. Suwannee and participated in the invasion of North Africa in November 1942 and the Solomon Islands campaign in the South Pacific (December 1942 to August 1943) with Torpedo Squadron VT-27. He joined Torpedo Squadron VT-81 at Otis Air Base, Cape Cod, Mass. in March 1944 and participated in the Central Pacific campaign aboard the U.S.S. Wasp with VT-81 November 1944 to March 1945. He was a Senior Flight Instructor at the U.S. Naval Air Station, Fort Lauderdale, Florida from April 1945 to October 1945.
Mr. Nelson was a resident of Ho-Ho-Kus, New Jersey employed as a United Airlines co-pilot prior to leaving in February 1947 to join the J. C. Penney Co., Inc. In April of 1980 he retired as a Senior Buyer from Penney’s headquarters in New York City. He moved to East Dennis in March 1981 from Ho-Ho-Kus, New Jersey.
He was a member of the Dennis Senior Center, VFW Post 10274, the Bird Carving Group, and Dennis Pines and Dennis Highlands Golf Clubs.
He is survived by his wife Dorothea Potter Nelson and four sons Robert Jr. of Mechanicsville, Va., John Preston of Charlotte, North Carolina, Mark Christopher of Watertown, New York, and Eric Scott of Norwalk, Conn.; four sisters, Helen Winkel, Dorothy Schneider, Daisy Rubeling, and Violet Hermanson, all of Franklin Park, Illinois; five grandchildren, Brett Nelson of Arlington, Va., Garrett Nelson of Richmond, Va., Ashley Nelson of Berkeley, California and Scott and Erik Nelson of Watertown, New York; and two great grandchildren Miles and Margaret Nelson of Arlington, Va.
There will be a memorial service at 11 AM on Monday, May 13th at Our Lady of the Cape Church, Brewster, Mass. followed by burial in the National Cemetery in Bourne, Mass.
Visiting hours are 4 to 7 PM on Sunday, May 12th at the Doane, Beal and Ames Funeral Home, 729 Route 134, South Dennis, Mass.
Memorial donations may be made to Hospice of Cape Cod or to the charity of your choice.
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