Ricky Lee Nelson's Obituary
Ricky Lee Nelson was born to Nancy Key and Peter Robert Nelson on February 22, 1955 in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. There was much joy when Rick arrived after waiting eight years for a child.
Every year he would work with his family ‘priming’ the tobacco from their acres all around Pilot Mountain later, most of this land was later sold for industrial development to aid friends in finding employment.
Pilot Mountain is a beautiful knob, on the top of the mountains all around this area of northeastern North Carolina. This small town in next to Mayberry (made famous by the Andy Griffith show.) North Carolina is lush and green filled with Southern hospitality and home cooking. Nancy was famous for her cooking especially her baking. People requested and purchased baked goodies from her kitchen until her death in March of 2012. Rick blossomed, sometimes a bit too much, with all the delicious meals she cooked.
He was the center of attention until brother Dana arrived. Five years later sister La Vonda was born. Rick attended grade school before baby brother Darryl arrived. Rick worked at the local drug store soda fountain. In Junior High School, Rick accepted Jesus Christ as his savior at their family church’s summer camp.
At East Surry High School, Rick played the drums in the marching band and even started a band that played at school dances or parties. He thought that perhaps he would be a professional musician.
A frequent family dinner guest was Rick’s best friend Bucky Rogers. These two were infamous for pulling pranks especially when they could borrow Buck’s dad’s sheriff’s patrol car for a cruise. Rick came by his antics naturally as his father P.R. was known in this little town not just as a gardener of excellence but also as a jokester extraordinaire.
Rick knew he did not like farming and that was hard work. Rick wanted to see more of the country than little Pilot Mountain unlike his father who never wanted to be out of eyeshot of the knob after serving in WWII.
Serving in the military was an honor and highly regarded by all the family so he was proud to do so. For basic training, he was shipped to San Antonio Texas where he had to be in the ‘fat boy’ program, as it was nicknamed. (This experience lead to a lifelong aversion to certain foods and a desire to control what he ate.) After basic, he was sent to Chanute AFB in Illinois for training as a fuel’s specialist. That was followed by an assignment to Mather AFB in Rancho Cordova, CA.
Saving most of his whooping $84.00 per month, he splurged on a green MG midget, which he rode to Lake Tahoe and all around El Dorado County when he wasn’t working. While working in the fuel’s section his first sergeant introduced him to an out of town visitor to one of his apartment complex tenants – Carol Patterson. By the end of this summer, the two were engaged. Carol went back to graduated from college in Spokane, Washington. Rick was able to request his next assignment. The request for Germany was accepted and by February, he was to report there. Rick and Carol married in Spokane, on January 31, 1975 before he went ahead to Hahn AFB in West Germany near the French border.
Now Rick wanted to prepare and provide for a family so he was constantly trying to be accepted into an officer-training program. Carol joined him in June and they lived in Buch, West Germany. Due to his ruddy complexion the locals considered him a descendant and were very friendly. He helped his widowed land lady by mowing her grass once a week. Carol found work first at the Officer’s Club and later at the Education Center and Library. Housing on base was scarce and Buch was a long drive in the winter weather although the nightly procession of cows being escorted back from the fields and out each morning served as an alarm clock. An apartment, only 5 miles away, above a concrete block manufacturer where two other airmen were living with their families. The three families became great friends and attended the base chapel together. They enjoyed trips to explore the European countries often camping the many campgrounds and taking the Eurail system. Frequent 12 hour shifts and base ‘alerts’ were used to keep everyone ready to fight the Communists just miles away.
Meanwhile brother Dana had joined the Army and was stationed in Naples, Italy. For a Christmas holiday Rick and Carol took the train to Naples. Brother Dana says that this ‘romantic’ trip was responsible for the birth of Justin at Hahn on Oct. 26, 1977. In 1978 a decision was made not to extend this enlistment and to request a stateside assignment. They returned to the states and after visiting family in North Carolina, then they drove cross country to California.
Travis AFB in Fairfield, CA was their new home. Moving Rick’s squadron
Assignment changed from a TAC or tactical (fighter) base to a MAC – Military Airlift Cargo planes. They moved into an apartment off base. That year he pursued his college education at night with Embrey- Riddle University earning an A.S. in Criminal Justice. Rick worked part time at a gas station and bought a motorcycle. After that we moved to base housing and lived next to avid outdoorsman Dick Stewart. Dick took Rick deer hunting. Still in the fuel’s squadron he moved off the flight line and into the fuel’s accounting office. Here he enjoyed the numbers and being a very careful accountant. Rick even enjoyed doing financial counseling for airmen in trouble. While here, he attended the NCO Academy (Non-Commissioned Academy) at Norton AFB, in San Bernardino, CA.
As he worked on his degree and was being promoted he was spending less and less time attending church and was not as faithful to his profession of Jesus as Savior as he should have been.
Rick loved the precision and professionalism of the group of teachers and applied to work there. In summer of 1983, Rick began his second career field in the military, military training as an instructor at the NCO Academy. He continued to pursue his college degree and graduated from Chapman University with a B.A. through the
base and nearby classrooms. He then entered a night program at Southwestern Law School but after a year he decided he did not want to be an attorney. (His legal training has been particularly helpful in his last career of Human Resource Management.)
The NCO Academy had many family functions and regular student facility programs such as a bowling league, a graduation banquet, a morning tea, bar-b-ques, retirement parties, and holiday events. The NCO Academy was a closely-knit family oriented group who were involved in each other’s lives. We met and loved many of the people there and watched each other’s family grow up. During this time Rick was becoming more and more involved in this work and spent a lot of time socializing with the group.
Rick enjoyed the skits and jokes that the workers would perform as some were reassigned or followed other careers. They would dress up in wacky costumes and act out funny scenarios of the daily antics of the academy. With so many different classes (each lasting 6 weeks), lots of things could and did happen. Everyone knew that it would be there turn to be roasted.
One of the many things the Academy did was play golf together. Rick’s Sunday’s began with a golf game. He became a --- handicap golfer and spent most Saturday and Sunday mornings at the Base Golf Course.
Carol joined a near by church – Immanuel Baptist and began an 18 year career in the temporary help industry. July 21, 1985 Ashley Marie LeFleur his second child was born.
Rick did continue his education and received a Master’s Degree in Education from Chapman University along with one of his bosses at the NCO Academy – Bill Kastner in May of 1988.
Rick moved up from instructor in all three divisions: communication skills, military studies and human relations. Next Rick was promoted to the division chief of the communication division and in a few years he became the director of education. His last position there was as the commandant. He was the only non-commissioned officer to serve as a commandant at this time (the Air Force was changing its rules.) While Division Chief God was speaking to Rick’s heart and pulling him to feel the need to seek counsel. He went to visit a minister at Immanuel Baptist Church and rededicated his life to Jesus.
The base at Norton was closing by this time and Rick decided not to accept another assignment so he retired and closed the Academy in 1993.
After retirement, he went to work for Southland Distribution Center in San Bernardino, as a Human Resource Clerk. Southland Distribution Center was the supplier for the 7-11 stores. During this time, McClane Distribution acquired them. This was a company owned by the Wal-Mart Corporation. There he could use his teaching of management skills for their management training program – Zenger Miller. During these four years, Justin graduated from HS and began junior college. Ashley lived in St. Louis with her mother. Rick taught himself to use most computer programs and became a Vice President of an Environmental Consulting Company working from home and writing safety programs for companies.
After some training for McClane Rick was offered a position in Athens, Georgia, (much larger facility)as their HR Manager. The family planned to move from their home in the Del Rosa area of San Bernardino. Rick always had wanted to work in a training capacity in more depth and he had resumes out on the market. Before the move to Georgia was made a company in Ontario interviewed him and offered him a job in the San Bernardino area. Inland Container –Paperboard Division offered him a Safety and Human Resource position. Since their house was now in escrow, Carol had to find them a new place while Rick wrapped up his work with McClane. She found a home 3 miles from where Immanuel Baptist had moved from San Bernardino to Highland. Now Rick was in the manufacturing industry.
Rick began as the Human Resource Manager at Inland Paper – Container Division on March 10th, 1997.
Justin decided he did not like college, and the job he enjoyed, suffered in the poor economy and closed. He decided to join the Army and went to Fort Benning in Columbus, Georgia. (He moved to Georgia but the family didn’t!) During this time, Carol continuously asked Rick to attend church with her where she taught Sunday School in the Children’s Department. Rick was still very into his Saturday and Sunday golf games.
Finally in 2006 when a friend said, “I’m going to ‘our’ church and he had better be there!”, he went. Surprisingly he enjoyed it and began attending church services every week. Slowly God spoke to him about attending adult Sunday school classes. Then when the church bulletin advertised needing a Sunday school teacher for second graders, Carol asked Rick if he would consider team teaching this with her. At first, Rick said, “No”, but the Holy Spirit spoke to Rick in a church service and he said, “yes”. He would have to attend classes on the Christian Doctrines, and join the church.
In 2003, Rick left Inland Paper and went to work in Pomona, California for Structural Composite Containers. This was also a manufacturing plant, but it dealt with fuel sources and clean air operating systems for buses and all types of industries. Here he made friends and enjoyed working for three years. Rick returned to Inland Container, now known as Temple Inland the parent company on February 21, 2006.
He now had responsibility for Human Resources in both the box plant and now the paper mill, located next to each other in Ontario. Rick still had many friends both their locally, and at their corporate offices.
On September 10, 2007 Rick was baptized at Immanuel Baptist Church and soon transferred his membership from First Presbyterian Church of Pilot Mountain, North Carolina. He had begun going to Adult Sunday School classes as well. Rick loved to read his Bible and was hungry for God’s word. He learned quickly and in a few years, he began teaching both Adult and Children’s Sunday School Classes.
The grandchildren had graced the family but unfortunately, they still lived far away in Columbus, Georgia and then five miles away in Phoenix City, Alabama. Noah Sebastyn Nelson was born first on August 8, 2000. He had two other siblings, and Justin did not reenlist in the Army but went to work for Wal-Mart Cold Food Division Distribution Center. Justin later divorced and remarried, Shondra Reid. Now our family grew to have Blake Gilbert, Brandon Gilbert, and Gracie (Caitlyn) Nelson. After two years, Ethan Alexander Nelson, the last grandchild was born on March 16, 2006 . Sadly, during this time Noah moved with his new step-dad and mom to Morganton, North Carolina. Justin has since become the Distribution Manager at the manufacturing facility for NCR – National Cash Register Corporation where video box machines and ATMs are made.
In March of 2008, Rick felt as though the pneumonia he had just recovered from had come back. When visiting the Urgent Care center an x-ray revealed something unusual. There was tumor in his left lung. This proved to be lung cancer, stage four-lung cancer. Then 2 liters of fluid was drained from his lung. Some people would have been in despair and decide to stop working, particularly considering the projected life expectancy for non-small cell lung cancer at stage four. Not Rick, he asked God to use this as an opportunity to tell others about JESUS.
Rick took information from John Piper who wrote an article called “Don’t Waste Your Cancer” and wrote a note with it to give to others in the infusion center. He had to begin his chemotherapy right away. The tumor was not located in a spot where any kind of surgery could be performed. Rick felt that God had given him cancer as an answer to his prayer that he be able to be a better witness for JESUS. He knew that his life was given by and for his Lord and he now had a great testimony that he could share at work, at home, at church and in our neighborhood.
Rick’s cancer responded to treatment and was kept at bay until November of 2009 when he had what looked like a small stroke. The incident was a gift from God to point to a brain metastasis that sat on the area of the brain that controls the right hand, leg, facial and speech muscles. The tumor was successfully removed soon after and he underwent stereotactic radiation treatments in Beverley Hills.
Rick went through several rounds of different kinds of chemotherapy and was still able to work full time. In 2010, he started to experience small seizures from swelling around the area where the brain metastasis had been removed. Still strong in faith he underwent several scans and was prescribed some anti-seizure medications. All the treatment and medications caused some problems; a loss of balance, difficulty speaking, occasional dizziness, some hearing loss. None of these stopped Rick. He visited Ashley now a student at the University of Illinois Chicago in February. Then in May returned for her graduation with honors. He continued to teach his Sunday School Class now full time. His faith was growing as God proved His grace and power over this deadly disease.
Rick planned several trips to visit family all over the country whenever Carol was not working. Carol had given up working in the temporary help industry and had gone back to college to get her teaching credential. She was credentialed in 2004 and began working for Rialto Unified School District where she had substituted and then been offered employment as a teacher.
Things were going well until November of 2011. Rick’s speech was getting to be seriously hindered by the problems and he spoke very quietly with a rasp. He was very ill from his last chemo in December and he was not sure if he could return to work. Rick could no longer teach the Children’s Sunday School Class.
God again gave him His mercy and Rick returned fulltime to work at Temple Inland, which had been sold in January and was now an International Paper Company. The take over had required the sale of the mill so Rick was no longer responsible for the box plant but only the mill. At this point his last 2 rounds of different chemotherapy drugs had not worked so he went onto his 8th drug concoction. His cancer had moved now to his liver.
The 9th chemo therapy proved effective in his lungs but not in his liver, an anomaly. He was not as strong physically but spiritually stronger all the time. He planned two trips for he and Carol showing her more and more loving consideration. In March they spent a lovely week in Sedona, joined by Carol’s sister and brother-in-law! When school ended in May Rick was starting to have more frequent seizures at work, so Carol started to drive him to work as she had done off and on over the last year. She began staying with him there. By the end of June he was getting weaker and weaker.
On June 26th he went from work to the emergency room. There was a 6cm tumor on the left lung closing 60% of the airway and 5 liters of fluid on his right lung. The last chemotherapy had not worked. He tried one more. He was now not able to work but kept in touch with his class writing to them about the daily miracles God had allowed him to see in every hospital stay. He witnessed to doctors, nurses and fellow patients. He kept up his email correspondence with his adult Sunday School Class. He taught 2 more lessons and then attended two more times as a member before he was then unable to breath on his own. He was put on a breathing machine, first at only 65 %, then 75% and in the end 100%. He was still able to respond to people by squeezing their hands.
A beautiful miracle occurred the evening before he went home to heaven. A missionary friend of ours, Crystal came by to see him a second time. This time, without her girls, we had taught in Children’s Sunday school. Carol had gone home for dinner then so he was alone. She told him what a great man of God he was. How he was a great teacher for her children. She also told him what a great job he had done loving Carol. He looked into her eyes (first time in days), lifted, and squeezed her hand.
Later that night when Carol returned he squeezed her hand while she spoke to him. The next morning, September 8, at 10:48 am, his heart now full of Jesus was with his Savior in paradise.
In the end, Rick could not talk, but his life, his love and his wishes for his funeral ceremony all testify of his great love for Jesus. His greatest desire was for all to know Jesus personally, as their Savior. Just as Jesus had filled up more and more of his life, he would want that for you too my friend. I am sure that God smiled when he came to Him. In addition, the two had quite a visit with passed family and friends.
As Paul said, Rick too could say, “I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. Now there is in store for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day-and not only to me, but also to all who have longed for his appearing.” 1 Timothy 4:7-8
If you would like to make donations in Rick's memory, please do so to World Vision - Their phone number is 1-888-511-6519. For Rick the source code is 105-429-5551.
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