Alfred S Nelson

Dr. Alfred S. Nelson passed away on December 14, 2012 at the age of 92. He was born and raised in Thief River Falls MN. He had two brothers; Ralph and Norman and a sister Marilyn. Marilyn, Norm and their families still reside in Minnesota.

Alfred was quite the scholar. While in Lincoln High School, he won a combined award for being not only the top athelete, but the student with the highest academic status. He excelled at football, basketball and track. He studied pre-med and subsequently graduated from the University of Minnesota Medical School. While there, the Golden Gophers won the National Football Championship. Alfred also competed in a National English exam against hundreds of college students throughout the country and finished with the second highest grade.

Alfred then interned at Ancker Hospital in St. Paul. For the next 26 months, he was a member of the Army Medical Corps during World War II. During the war, he attained the rank of Captain. His main assignment was working at the General Hospital in the Philippine Islands. Prior to leaving the army, he married Evelyn Elliott and had three children; Robert, William and Cynthia and five grandchildren; Daniel, Michael, Chris, Erik and Shawn.

After the war, Alfred worked as a MD in a private practice. He studied hard and became a Specialist in Internal Medicine. He then decided to join the USPHS (United States Public Health Service) and subsequently took assignments in Baltimore MD, Memphis, TN, Lexington KY and finally in Phoenix AZ. During his prominent career, he attained the rank of full-bird Colonel. His proudest accomplishment was becoming a Fellow of the American College of Physicians.

After 20 years of service, he retired from the USPHS but was not yet finished. He worked another 10 years for the State of Arizona as the Medical Director at the State Hospital.

Although a dedicated professional, Alfred's life was not all work. He was an avid golfer and won 2 annual tournaments at Spring Valley Country Club while in Lexington. He was also a very good tennis player. In his younger years, he loved hunting and fishing; especially with his brother Norm. Just a few years ago, Rob and Marylyn took Alfred to Minnesota to visit with his family and went out on a boat fishing just like old times. In addition to sports, he loved Wisk and other card games played with family and friends. He did crossword puzzles every day for the past 20 years and was quite good at it. He read all the time and listened to music. Alfred had another interesting hobby which was taking a very active role in investing his hard-earned money. He worked very closely with his good friend and investment advisor of 30 years, Bill Veit in the purchase and sale of stocks. They also shared their love of tennis and played often.

Up until 6 months ago, Alfred lived actively for 13 years at a beautiful retirement resort in Glendale where he met and shared company with a wonderful woman, Elvie Gustafson. Together, they enjoyed meals, meetings, reading, listening to music, watching Lawrence Welk, entertainment and most important, each other's company.

Alfred's last six months were spent in a lovely group home in Surprise where he was treated with respect, dignity, and excellent care. He retained his wonderful sense of humor and was well-liked by everyone there.

Overall, Alfred had a good life. He provided well for his wife and family whom he loved. He was a well-respected doctor and very generous to numerous charities. He always strived to improve his knowledge about the world we all share. He was truly one of the good guys. May he always rest now in peace.