Nelson Frederick Hunter's Obituary
On Wednesday, May 22, 2019, Nelson Frederick Hunter, loving husband and devoted father of three children and five grandchildren, passed away at the age of 77. After a seven year battle with Alzheimer’s, he passed peacefully surrounded by his wife and children.Nelson was born on December 29, 1941 at Mills Hospital in Burlingame. He was raised by his loving mother Sylvia and his grandmother Bambi. The three of them lived together on Willow Glen in San Carlos. He had such fond memories of his time with his mother and grandmother that he held onto his childhood house for most of his adult life. Nelson attended Carlmont High School in San Carlos where he met his best friend Floyd “Bob” Winn. He was a successful entrepreneur at a very young age as evident by being the only 16 year old at Carlmont who could afford a brand new cherry red hotrod. Bob said he saved every penny he made leading up to that purchase. He was a young man with a plan. Shortly after high school he joined the Marines. The Marines taught him all he needed to know about what his life would look like after he served his country. Nelson attended college at USF and then went to night school to receive his MBA from Golden Gate University all while working at HouseHold Finance to support himself and save money for his future. When Nelson met with the Social Security office upon retirement, they could not believe how long he had been paying taxes without any gaps in employment. During this time, Nelson crossed paths with a man that would turn out to be the brother he never had. His name was Jerry Beck and he was larger than life itself. Jerry and Nelson were as close as you could be, all the way up to when Nelson was at Jerry’s bedside before he passed away. Nelson’s biggest accomplishment happened on February 19, 1977, when he married Connie Leigh Guglielmelli. Nelson, being an only child, married Connie who was one of nine children in a large Italian family. Nelson met Connie while the two were working at Bank of America in Mountain View. After being introduced, it didn’t take long for Nelson to ask Connie out on a date. Little did Nelson know that when he picked her up at her house on Fern Ave., her entire family would be at all the windows trying to catch a glimpse. Together they raised two sons, Casey and Patrick, and a daughter, Brooklyn. Nelson also met Mike McFarlin working at Bank of America. Together, Mike and Nelson experienced many adventures together which will now live on through Mike. While the kids were young, Nelson left Bank of America and took a position at a Venture Capital firm in San Francisco. This job allowed him to travel to places like England and New York. After working at the Venture Capital firm, Nelson purchased a travel agency in 1984. Nelson would spend the rest of his professional career in the travel industry until his retirement. Retirement for Nelson meant teaching inappropriate songs to his grandchildren and wondering why four years old wasn’t old enough for a BB gun.Nelson lived a life full of adventure. He was an avid music lover and vintage car enthusiast. His mother and wife lovingly supported his many questionable decisions throughout his charmed life. He had a pet monkey, loved fireworks, rode motorcycles, drove fast cars, and drank gin martinis.He was known for his kind, gentle demeanor. He always saw the good in people and connected deeply with many. Nelson was funny, so very funny.Nelson is survived by his wife Connie, his three children Casey, Patrick and Brooklyn and his five grandchildren Ashley (12), Jake (9), Jaxon (6), Jett (4) and Harper (7 months).A funeral service will be held at Skylawn on Thursday May 30th at 11:00am. Flowers can be sent to Skylawn https://www.skylawnflowers.com/. Donations may be sent to the Alzheimer’s Association https://www.alz.org/ in Memory of Nelson.
What’s your fondest memory of Nelson?
What’s a lesson you learned from Nelson?
Share a story where Nelson's kindness touched your heart.
Describe a day with Nelson you’ll never forget.
How did Nelson make you smile?