Known as "Sandy" to his family and as "Nellie" to his many friends, died peacefully in his home on Friday, August 22 at the age of 63. He had been diagnosed with ALS or Lou Gehrig's Disease just two months before his death.
Sandy was a licensed practical nurse and for 20 years he was a personal nurse of extraordinary skill, caring for terminally ill members of many prominent Boston area families. His calm competence and patience were the hallmarks of his service. After graduating from Washington & Jefferson College, Sandy tried many pursuits before focusing on nursing. These included joining VISTA, and working as a Good Humor man, a bicycle messenger, warehouse worker, English teacher, social worker, trash collector, minister and encyclopedia salesman. Kind and compassionate, he had no pretensions and an unusual ability to relate to people from all walks of life. A lover of music, Sandy was an award-winning songwriter who recorded and preformed as the lead vocalist for the local punk rock band, Vas Deferens. He was a clever lyricist with a biting wit and his songs were replete with satire and socio-political commentary. His most popular songs included, "Commitment", "My Emotion", "In Praise of Older Women", and "Bernie, the Pimp".
Although not a fan of professional sports, Sandy passionately followed collegiate and high school teams, traveling as far as Texas for a special high school game. He was a season ticket holder and avid fan of BC football. A dedicated cyclist, Sandy navigated Boston's downtown traffic with finesse and he joined friends for numerous long distance charity rides. Sandy was also an accomplished gardener, often bringing a summer bounty of homegrown produce to his friends and family.
He proudly mentored his grand niece Anabelle and grand nephews Walter and Oliver as they planted their first vegetable gardens. On the day of his death, brilliant sunflowers bloomed outside Sandy's bedroom window.
He leaves his brother, John M. Nelson of Boston; his nieces Murrey Nelson of San Francisco; Linda Ryan of Farmington Hills, Michigan; Carol Balkey of Pittsburgh; Jane Thompson of Cincinnati; his nephew Christopher Nelson of Millbury, as well as his special friends, Vicki Swisher of Cambridge, C.J. Allen and Linda Marino and God-children; Mary and Perrin Allen of Jamaica Plain. His sister Jane Fleischman died previously.
A celebration of Sandy's unique life will be held at 5 PM, Saturday, Sept. 6th at The Boston Athenaeum, 10 Beacon Street. Donations may be made to Caritas Good Samaritan Hospice, 310 Allston St., Brighton, MA, where he was a valued volunteer.