David Nelson

David Nelson, 63, of Crosslake, formerly of St. Michael, passed away Sunday, August 22, 2010, at St. Cloud Hospital. A "Celebration of Life" for David is planned for 3:00 PM, Friday, August 27 at Crosslake Lutheran Church with Pastor Mark Anderson officiating. Friends are welcome to gather one hour prior to services.

David was born July 4, 1947, in Duluth, MN, the son of John and Dorothy Nelson. He grew up in Aurora where he graduated from Aurora Hoyt Lakes High School in 1965. He attended Virginia Junior College and Hibbing Area VoTech for two years. In 1993, David went back to school to earn his Business Administration Degree from Metro State University. David married his college sweetheart, Gail Haurunen. David worked for many companies during his career. He was employed at NCR for eleven years and Carlson Companies for nine years. He also worked for Tennant Company, DBJ, Best Buy and Accenture.

David loved the outdoors. He liked to ski, snowmobile, hunt, swim, golf, play tennis and spend time on their boat. The family enjoyed taking family vacations each summer, and David loved to travel. Last summer he and Gail toured Alaska with their good friends the Eides and Safars. For Gail and David's 40th wedding anniversary the couple cruised the Mediterranean visiting many ports along the way, including the Greek Isles. He enjoyed giving back and was a hockey coach for many years and also played on an "old-timers" league. He was a scout leader, a friend to many, a mentor and a mediator. David will be remembered for his contagious smile, infectious laugh, great sense of humor and sharp wit.

David will be missed by many. He is survived by his wife of 42 years, Gail; his sons, Todd David (Kathleen Gordon) Nelson and Cory Douglas (Holly Christensen) Nelson; grandchildren, Elyce, Madalyne, Brady, and Eleanor; mother, Dorothy; brothers, Dennis (Linda Flann) Nelson and Douglas (Linda Pitkanen) Nelson; and sister, Barbara (Douglas) Weise. He was preceded in death by his father, John and his brother, Keith.