David R. Nelson

David Rudd Nelson was born in Abilene, Texas, on September 3, 1945. He died unexpectedly early in the morning of April 27, 2020, in the place he loved most in the world: Torrey, Utah. He is survived by his children, Nikole and Travis; their children, Naima and Taylor; and his stepchildren, Carrie and Aaron. The greatest joys in his life came from the experiences he shared with his wife, Helen Hodgson; his daughter and son-in-law, Emily Hodgson-Soule and Dan Tree; and his grandson, Greyson Tree. Dave spent his work life doing things he loved. He was a police officer in Los Angeles, California; Phoenix, Arizona; and Murray, Utah, before becoming a pilot for SkyWest Airlines. He loved piloting jets and ended his career flying Lear Jets; he always wished he had become captain of a 747, as he admired its power and beauty in the sky. When he wasn’t flying, he was a contractor who took great pride in building beautiful houses. He was a patient and passionate craftsman and passed some of his construction knowledge on to Emily, who will be forever grateful for his willingness to teach her his trade and give her the confidence to maintain her own property. Dave built the family home in Draper, Utah, before discovering the breathtaking scenery in Torrey, Utah. Shortly after he and Helen met, he visited her in her nearly completed home in Torrey. He commented that it was too bad she hadn’t met him a year earlier, as he could have saved her $100,000 by building it himself—so she found an even better piece of property in Torrey, on which he built their dream home. In his retirement, he turned his passion to animals and showered great affection on the family dogs, cats, horses, and chickens. He removed snakes from roads so they wouldn’t be killed, provided safe environments for ducks and other birds and chipmunks to feed and nest, and adopted any stray animal that looked to him for a loving home. He will be greatly missed by all those who knew and loved him—both humankind and animals. There will be no formal service, as he would have wanted small, informal celebrations of his life. Contributions in his memory can be made to Best Friends Animal Society or the Humane Society of Utah. He would have been pleased to know that donations were being made in Torrey to help support Color Country Animal Welfare and the Entrada Institute.