Rev. Philip N. Nelson
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The Reverend Philip Noe Nelson passed away peacefully in Vernon, VT, on May 30, 2020, of complications from lung cancer.
Phil was born in Woodbridge, NJ, on December 14, 1920, the third son and child of the late Frederick A. and Henrietta Noe Nelson. He was predeceased by two brothers, Frederick N. Nelson and Louis N. Nelson. He graduated from Woodbridge schools and from Tusculum College (now Tusculum University) in Greeneville, TN. He served in the US Navy as a Lieutenant, j.g. He was stationed in the Pacific Theater in WWII, where he served as a wave guide, leading Marines in landing craft to the appointed beaches, and he survived 5 invasions. He went on to receive his M.A. degree from Columbia University.
He married Florence Mundy of Metuchen, NJ, in 1947, and enjoyed 55 years of marriage with his beloved Florence, who predeceased him in 2003.
After a career in Personnel Administration (Human Resources) with DuPont, International Telephone and Telegraph (ITT), and Babcock & Wilcox, he left the business world to enter the Christian ministry. He graduated from Andover-Newton Theological Seminary in 1968, and was ordained in the United Church of Christ (UCC). He served UCC churches in Amesbury and Northfield, MA, and, after his retirement from full-time ministry, he served as interim minister to churches in VT and NH. He also was a frequent guest preacher at many local churches.
He is survived by his three children and their spouses: Doris (Nelson) and Herbert (Bart) Noyes of Kingston, NH; Janet (Nelson) and Mark Stephens of Ambler, PA; and Phil and Marilyn Nelson of Vestal, NY; as well as 10 grandchildren and 9 great-grandchildren; one nephew, Frederick R. Nelson of Washington, D. C.; and several cousins.
Phil loved to read and was fascinated by local, world, and family history. He was an enthusiastic gardener and an avid stamp and coin collector. He was a longtime Mason and a member of the Ionic Lodge #31 in Newport, DE. He has lived for the past 23 years at Vernon Homes in Vernon, VT, where he made many friends. He has been active in the community as a member of the Vernon Historical Society, the Vernon Seniors, and the First Congregational Church (UCC) of West Brattleboro. He volunteered for many years in the Town Clerk's office of Vernon, and he also volunteered at the Brattleboro Memorial Hospital, the Vernon Public Library, and in his retirement community. He worked every Election Day in Vernon until he was 98, and at age 99 he was still signing up his fellow residents for absentee ballots for the 2020 Vermont primary election.
Arrangements are through the Kidder Funeral Home of Northfield, MA. A celebration of Phil's life will be held at a later time, to be determined, at the First Congregational Church of West Brattleboro.
The family wish to express their deepest gratitude to the staff at Vernon Hall, who cared for Phil so lovingly.
Memorial donations in Phil's name may be made to Vernon Homes, 61 Greenway Drive, Vernon, VT, 05354; or to the First Congregational Church of West Brattleboro, 880 Western Avenue, PO Box 2389, Brattleboro, VT, 05303. To send condolences please visit www.kidderfuneralhome.com.