Chris Charles Nelson

After years of fighting cancer for his family and loved ones, Chris completed his life on earth September 8, 2022 surrounded by his daughters and his wife. Although he passed at a relatively young age of 68, he lived those years with vigor and vitality. He grew up in Westmont, IL as the the third of six children of Marvin and Nancy Nelson. As a child he is remembered as a fun-loving, spirited one, with many stories of testing the boundaries and finding trouble. As is generally true of the strong willed child, those qualities served him well by creating a man of tenacity and great influence as an adult.

He married at the age of 18 and started a family life in the suburbs of Chicago. He and his wife Sharon grew their family in the Midwest and when it was completed, they enjoyed the loving chaos that came with raising five daughters. While many asked if they kept trying for a boy, Chris always said that he was meant to be a girl dad and he took much joy in this role, often joking he was the king of his castle.

In 1989, the family moved to Derby, KS where they made many memories…including Chris threatening the boys that came knocking at the windows and shutting off the teen phone line abruptly at 9pm so the girls would go to bed on time. Many children and teens came through the Nelson house during the growing up years and Chris took it in stride, like any man who was outnumbered by daughters would do. Raising daughters in a household of faith and love, many amazing memories were made that still have the girls and their friends laughing today.

Chris spent his years providing for the family by being professionally successful as a shoe salesman, machinist, regional salesman for machining tools, mechanical engineering consultant, and an entrepreneur of Nelson Enterprises, with his most recent endeavor as an RV repair shop owner. He was able to travel the world in these roles, including international travel to Japan and Russia. Chris was a multi-talented man with a knack for figuring out how things work or could work better. He took pride in using his hands to better the world around him.

In 2004, Chris married Nanette Nelson. They spent years traveling the United States in their RV, finally settling in the Wichita area in 2014. One they settled in, they found time to enjoy some of their favorite hobbies such as wood working and stained glass. Chris's mind for the mechanical and Nan's creative design provided a beautiful union of hobbies which allowed them to spend quality time together.

Chris recently had the opportunity to retire which allowed him to be a phenomenal grandparent to a multitude of grandchildren and also gave him time to be the resident “fixer of all things” for the family. He would show up for any call, anytime. When his family called, you could hear him announce “I’ll be right over!” with utter joy. When his health began to decline, he made the most of his time by creating memories that will be forever cherished.

Chris is survived by his wife, Nanette Nelson; daughters, Lisa (Mike) Woolsey, Kristin (Brad) Ward, Brooke (Rob) Hoffman, Amber Nelson and Tara (Jeremy) Whitt; step-children, Nicole Hill, Adam Beckerman; siblings, Rickie (Ron) Hexom, Leif Nelson, Marvin (Nancy) Nelson, David (Linda) Nelson and Sarah (Chris) Kenny; and many grandchildren.

A gathering of family and close friends will be held on November 12th to celebrate the life and joy that Chris brought to those who knew him.

In lieu of flowers, the family is asking for a memorial donation for expenses incurred during his illness by sending via Venmo (@Tara-Whitt-2).