Richard Alan Nelson's Obituary
On a hot July 14th in 1961, John D. (Pete) and Mildred Nelson welcomed their third child and second son to the world at Charlotte Memorial Hospital and soon brought him to their humble home on Drummond Avenue in North Charlotte. They named him Richard Alan Nelson though they and everyone else would come to know him as Ricky or Ric. After almost sixty productive years, Ric was taken from this life after an extended hospital stay on May 17, 2021.
Ric grew up in Charlotte, primarily in the Darby Acres and Windsor Park neighborhoods on the east side, and he last attended Garinger High School. He made many life-long friendships there, and after school Ric originally went to work in the appliance parts industry. After several years, Ric came to work in the material handling industry for Carolina Tractor where he met and married his wife Lisa Overcash Nelson. Ric and Lisa were blessed with two wonderful children, Cassidy and John Thomas (JT). In their early years together, Ric and his family lived in both Alabama and later in Kentucky, though they later settled back in the Charlotte area in Huntersville where Ric worked most recently as US East Regional Parts Sales Manager for Deutz.
Ric cherished time with his family and spent lots of time camping and going on fishing trips. He also loved coaching baseball and playing golf. Ric was an accomplished musician, and he played drums professionally early in his adult life. More recently he had been a part of the band at his church, Huntersville United Methodist. Ric’s family will miss him immensely. His sister, Lynn Harriman (and husband Harry) in Huntersville and older brother David Nelson (and wife Julie) in Davidson will especially feel a hole in their lives without their little brother. Ric will also be sorely missed by many family nieces and nephews who grew up learning what “real country music” was from Uncle Ric. He loved classic country music and southern rock and was a solid, true friend to many and a good soul.
The family will hold a visitation at 11am, Monday May 24 at Huntersville United Methodist Church with a funeral service to follow at noon. Burial will be at 2pm at Charlotte Memorial Gardens. For anyone who wants to see Ric one last time, there is a viewing on Sunday May 23rd at 2pm at James Funeral Home in Huntersville. The family requests in lieu of flowers you make a donation in Ric’s memory to Huntersville United Methodist Church (PO Box 378, Huntersville NC 28070) or Shriners Children's Hospital Greenville SC.
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