Perry Froemming Nelson

Perry Froemming Nelson died March 25, 2017, at the age of 83. Perry was born April 18, 1933, in Nashville, Tennessee, the only child of Perry Wilkes Nelson and Helen Froemming Nelson. He grew up in Memphis, Tennessee and Birmingham, Alabama. At age 17, he lied about his age and enlisted in the Alabama Air National Guard with his good friend Gene Chism. His squadron was activated during the Korean War, became part of the Air Force’s 117th Tactical Reconnaissance Wing and posted to the former French air base at Toul Rosières, where, incidentally, his father had served during the First World War. During leaves he traveled to Paris, Chamonix, and other points in France as well as Italy, Germany and England. Returning to the United States in 1953, he matriculated at the University of Alabama where he was a member of Phi Gamma Delta fraternity. He was graduated in 1957, with a degree in Geology. While at college he met his future wife, Emily Zetterlof. They were married in 1956. Perry took a job in 1957 with Carter Oil Company and the couple moved to Cortez, Colorado and later to Ardmore, Oklahoma where their first son, Christopher Wilkes, was born in 1958. After the birth of their son, they returned to Tuscaloosa where their second son was born in 1960. After considering enrolling in law school, Perry took a job as a groundwater geologist with the North Carolina Department and Board of Water Resources, one of the forerunners of today’s Department of Environmental Quality, and the family moved to Washington, North Carolina, where Perry managed a field station. The ten years the family lived in Washington were some of their happiest. Perry became an avid and accomplished sailor and a master of all the nautical arts. The family spent many weekends on the Pamlico River aboard their Columbia Contender, Spindrift, and for many years were members of the Washington Yacht and Country Club. Perry also served on the vestry of St. Pater’s Episcopal Church. A promotion took the family to Raleigh in 1971. Away from the river, the family sailed smaller boats and for several years Perry and Emily raced their Fireball almost every weekend from spring to fall at regattas around North and South Carolina. Perry became an avid tennis player while living in Raleigh and served as president of the Raleigh Racquet Club. Perry retired from state government after serving as Chief of the Department of Natural Resources and Community Development’s Groundwater Section. In retirement, he worked for several years as a consultant for Geophex LLC. Late in his career and into retirement, he and Emily returned to life on the Pamlico in their sailboat Silver Girl, and spent many weekends in Washington and Bath. In addition to being an avid sailor and tennis player, Perry was an excellent draughtsman and read widely, especially in naval and military history. His knowledge of World War II was exhaustive. Perry was a devoted husband and inspiring father. He was known for his precision of thought and expression, his honesty, fairness, courtesy, equanimity and the equal respect he extended to all regardless of station.

He is survived by Emily, his wife of 60 years, his son William and daughter-in-law Linda, and his granddaughters Katherine Nelson and Eleanor Nelson, all of Raleigh, and by his cousin Suzanne Holly Bachman of Chicago. He was predeceased by his son Christopher.

A funeral service will be held Thursday, March 30, 2017 at 2 pm at Holy Trinity Anglican 100 East Peace St, Raleigh, NC 27604. Interment will follow at Raleigh Memorial Park.

Arrangements are under the care of Brown-Wynne Funeral Home 300 Saint Mary’s St. Raleigh, NC 27605.