BUXTON- A great heart stopped beating on the 18th of February, 2023. Herbert Peter Nelsen passed away peacefully at his home with his loving family at his bedside. He was 87 years old.
Herbert had a full and active life dedicated above all to his family, and secondly to his 70-year career building homes in Southern Maine. With his wife Wanda and his four children, he enjoyed the outdoors, whether it was snowball fights in winter, kite-flying in spring, summer vacations on East Grand Lake, or foliage rides in autumn. But he always said his favorite time with his kids was simply taking them to Foley's ice cream stand at Oak Hill in Scarborough.
Other activities Herb enjoyed include deer hunting, camping, and clamming. And for Herb, clamming meant fried clams or steamers for supper, and his fried clam recipe was renowned and loved by all. He was also the cook of Sunday morning family breakfasts, as well as grill-master for his mouth-watering marinated steaks on weekends. Every spring he tapped maple trees, and usually ended up with close to 100 jars of syrup. He also enjoyed tending to his fruit trees, which included peach and cherry.
He was an inspiration to his children, showing them by example that if you wanted something badly enough, you could achieve it. He apprenticed his son Peter in the building trade, a career which Peter finds as fulfilling as Herb did. Herb's belief always was, "Do what you love, and you'll never work a day in your life."
Herbert had a generous spirit, and no one ever heard the word 'no' when they were in need. That extended to those he didn't even know, such and when he and Peter would go on winter camping trips, carrying as much extra food as possible, knowing they would encounter people in need. He was also a blood donor, and knowing how critical his O+ blood was, he donated 50 units of blood over his lifetime, for which he received an award from the Red Cross.
Active as he remained throughout his life, in his later years Herb also enjoyed quiet time spent reading, something he'd never found enough time for during his earlier years. Another past-time was his love of lottery scratch cards. When the scratching coin came out, you couldn't get Herb's attention until he'd scratched the last spot on the final card, no matter how hard you tried!
But Herb will no doubt be best remembered for his dry sense of humor, and no one ever encountered him without leaving with a smile. Even in his final months, he kept his daughter Patty laughing nearly every hour of every day.
Herbert is pre-deceased by his wife of 68 years, Wanda, who passed away on December 21, 2022. He is survived by his four children: Stephanie, and her husband Steve; Patricia; Jennifer; Peter, and his wife Kim; as well as 9 grandchildren and 17 great-grandchildren.
The family will hold a service in spring at South Buxton Cemetery. Online condolence messages can submitted at the Chad E. Poitras Cremation and Funeral Service website, www.mainefuneral.com
In lieu of flowers, the family asks that donations be made to Hospice of Southern Maine, who provided loving and compassionate home-hospice care for Herbert in his final months. Alternatively, please consider donating blood in Herb's memory, which would be greatly appreciated, particularly during this time of worldwide blood shortages.