Obituary of John Charles Nelson

John Charles Nelson, 79, of Lake Worth, Florida passed away surrounded by his family on Wednesday, May 31, 2023 at CentraState Medical Center, Freehold Township.  John was born, raised, and had lived in Brooklyn.  He then moved to Staten Island and lived in the Great Kills and Huguenot sections before retiring to Lake Worth, FL in 2002.  John was a United States Army Veteran serving in the Vietnam War.  He received his bachelor’s degree from Baruch College in NYC, worked as a Certified Public Accountant, and then retired as the Chief Financial Officer for Woodhull Hospital in Brooklyn in the late 1990’s.  A man of faith, John was raised Lutheran and most recently was studying Catholicism at Mary, Mother of the Light Maronite Catholic Church in Tequesta, Florida.  He was a kind and generous man with a great sense of humor, who was well liked and respected by everyone he encountered. He was also an animal lover, especially cats, and was a community cat caregiver volunteer for Florida’s Forgotten Felines. John’s father was an amateur photographer at Ebbets Field and after his passing, John, an enthusiastic baseball fan, spent many years collecting autographs for the pictures that were taken.   This led to his collection of sport memorabilia and many trips to the Dodger’s Fantasy Camps.  John was a proud patriot and a MAGA supporter.  John also enjoyed watching classic movies and had a good memory for both movie and music trivia. Yet all these things could not compare to the love he had for his wife of fifty-three years, his two daughters, son-in-law, and his four grandchildren.

John is survived by his wife, Mary Ann Nelson; his daughters, Dawn Nelson of Boynton Beach, FL and Debra Manaro and her husband, Dominick, of Manalapan, NJ; his grandchildren, Juliana, John, Joseph, and Brandon; nieces, nephews, and dear friends.

A visitation will be held at the Clayton & McGirr Funeral Home, 100 Elton-Adelphia Road, Freehold Township, NJ on Sunday, June 4, 2023 from 1:00 to 5:00 PM.  A second visitation will be held at Palm Beach National Chapel, 10055 Heritage Farms Rd, Lake Worth, FL on Wednesday, June 7, 2023 from 4:00 to 8:00 PM.  A graveside service will be held at 10:00 AM on Thursday, June 8, 2023 at South Florida National Cemetery, 6501 S. State Road 7, Lake Worth, FL 33449.  For those who desire memorial contributions may be made to Florida’s Forgotten Felines, 6746 Osborne Dr., Lake Worth, Fl 33462 or Mary, Mother of the Light Maronite Catholic Church, 46 Willow Rd, Tequesta, Florida, 33469.  For information, directions or condolence messages to the family, visit www.claytonfunerlhome.com or www.palmbeachnationalchapel.com.