Thomas H. Nelson, 88, of Bowling Green passed away Sunday, March 19, 2023. He was born on May 20, 1934 to the late Henry and Grace Nelson in Charleston, West Virginia. He married Judith Anne Nelson (nee Francis) on June 8, 1962 and they celebrated nearly 60 years of marriage before she preceded him in death on February 6, 2022.
After high school at Whitmer, Thomas served in the U.S. Navy from 1952-1956. After the Navy, he achieved a degree in Medical Technology and worked at St Luke’s in Toledo, where he met Judy, who would be the love of his life. The majority of his career was at The Toledo Hospital where he was a blood bank and phlebotomy lab technician for 56 years before his retirement. Always looking to be of service and take care of people, he also served as a volunteer fireman on both the Trilby Township Fire Department and the Waterville Fire Department where he also became an Emergency Medical Technician.
He loved nature and enjoyed camping and hiking with his family. He also had a passion for gardening and you could often find him tending his own garden or at one of his kid’s houses helping with their gardens. His gardens were full of beautiful flowers, trees, and shrubs, with many garden gnomes throughout. He loved watching the birds with Judy and kept bird feeders by the windows so they could enjoy them daily. He loved reading and science, played a mean game of chess, and was a soduku pro. But most of all, he loved his family. This was never more evident than at the holidays when he could be surrounded by the whole family. He loved giving gifts and he never missed an opportunity to decorate, especially with lights if he could! He was a loving and supportive father who enjoyed watching his kids and grandkids participating in their sports, choir, dance and artistic pursuits.
Surviving are his children: Paul Hoyt (Laura) Nelson of Grafton, Ohio, Laura (Gary) Adams of Maumee, Ohio, Michael (Michelle) Nelson of Tecumseh, Michigan, Theodore (Patricia) Nelson of Monroe Falls, Ohio, Michelle (Tim) Prand of Perrysburg, Ohio, Barnaby (Dessie) Nelson of Gibsonton, Florida, Alicia (Joe) Leonard of Holland, Ohio, Nicolle (Nick) Woolaver of Norwalk, Ohio and Shaina (Patrick) McDermott of Bowling Green; 27 grandchildren; 5 great-grandchildren. Thomas was preceded in death by his parents, Henry and Grace Nelson (nee Stoffel); his wife Judith Nelson (nee Francis); a son Matthew Nelson; and a brother Richard “Dick” Nelson.
Arrangements have been entrusted with the Deck-Hanneman Funeral Home & Crematory, 1460 W. Wooster St., P.O Box 648, Bowling Green, Ohio 43402. A Celebration of Thomas’ life will be held at Noon on April 15th at the Waterville Community Church, 8217 Dutch Road, Waterville Ohio, 43576. Online condolences, as well as a fond memory, may be shared with Thomas’s family by visiting www.hannemanfuneralhomes.com.
In lieu of flowers, donations may be made in Thomas’s memory to Hospice of Northwest Ohio or the Toledo Botanical Garden.
