Franklin Delano Nelson, 80, died Thursday August 7, 2014 in his home after a three year fight with metastatic colon cancer. Frank was born January 17, 1934 in Sapulpa, OK. He enjoyed sailing, skiing, golf, soccer, and playing bridge with work and church friends.
Frank is survived by his wife of 61 years, Lou (DeWees) Nelson; his children Mitchell Nelson and his wife Billye Nelson of Tulsa, L. Michele Nelson of Tulsa, Marcia Culver and her husband Todd Culver of Monument, CO; grandchildren Julie Rowell of Edmond, Nathan and Mackenzie Culver of Monument, CO; brothers Wayne Nelson and his wife Jennette of Oklahoma City, and Frederick Nelson of Bentonville, AR; and his sister-in-law Judy (DeWees) Wang and her husband William of Baton Rouge, LA.
Frank met his wife while they were in the youth group in Junior High at University Methodist Church. Frank graduated from Tulsa Central High School in 1952 and he attended the University of Oklahoma where he received a Bachelor of Business Administration degree in 1956. Frank married his high school sweetheart on June 13, 1953. While at O.U., Frank served in the Army ROTC and after graduation attended basic training at Fort Bliss in El Paso, TX in the Fall of 1956. Frank was stationed at Fort Sam Houston in San Antonio, TX through the Fall of 1958 and was promoted to the rank of Sargeant. He then served in the Army National Guard in Tulsa and was honorably discharged in July of 1962.
After returning to Tulsa after the military, Frank worked in Sales for various companies including Maryland Club Coffee and Honeywell, and later transitioned into Management with Derby-Champlin Oil Company and Toshiba. He retired from MacSteel where he had worked for 20 years initially as a Truck Driver, and then working in the office doing logistics management and delivery scheduling. Frank enjoyed playing golf, fishing, and taking friends and family out on the lake in their sailboat, practicing baseball, softball and soccer with his kids, and later coaching a young men's soccer team. He also volunteered with his kids activities, including chaperoning Girl Scout camping trips and WRUMC youth ski trips to Colorado. When they were raising their family, many Summers were spent in Wagoner at Lake Fort Gibson with friends at their lake home and at the church cabin. Frank was a fan of the University of Oklahoma Sooner football, Tulsa Roughnecks, and enjoyed watching the OKC Thunder and Texas Rangers baseball games.
Frank and Lou enjoyed working with the youth group and children's groups at Will Rogers United Methodist Church, as well as sharing their faith with their Sunday School class and bible study groups. Frank and Lou enjoyed playing bridge and taking road trips with long time church friends. They also played bridge with several couples that Lou knew through her real estate career.
Frank was preceded in death by his parents Orrin Joseph Nelson and Thelma (Keller) Nelson Peck, and a grandson, Kenneth Price Culver. Memorial services are scheduled for 2:00 p.m. on Friday August 15, 2014 at Will Rogers United Methodist Church, Tulsa, OK, where he and his wife were members for more than 50 years.