Dr. William Rankin Nelson

Nelson, Dr. William Rankin 1921 2010 Bill Nelson died peacefully on December 31, 2010. He was 89. William Rankin Nelson was born and raised in Charlottesville, Virginia. He attended the Woodbury Forest School, the University of Virginia, and the UVA School of Medicine. After interning at the Vanderbilt University Hospital, Bill served as an Army Air Force doctor in California, Hawaii, Virginia, and Japan. Bill completed his surgical training at the Medical College of Virginia and at UVA. He then served as a surgical oncology fellow at Memorial Sloan Kettering Hospital in New York City. Later, he taught surgery at both the Medical College of Virginia (1958-1962) and the University Of Colorado School Of Medicine (1955-57 and 1962-1987). A fourth-generation physician, Bill specialized in cancer surgery. He was a member of the American College of Surgeons, the British Association of Surgical Oncology, and the Royal Society of Medicine. He served as President of the Colorado Chapter of the American Cancer Society, the Society of Surgical Oncologists, and the Society of Head and Neck Surgeons. His honors include the University of Colorado Residents Award for Outstanding Teacher and the American Cancer Society's St. George Medal. Bill also was an active member of the Rotary Club. Along with other physicians and health care workers from Rotary International, he created and staffed the first national health fair in the Fiji Islands. In 2004, he was voted Rotarian of the Year by the Rotary Club of Denver. Bill traveled the world and was a student of history. He was keenly interested in Colonial Virginia and was a member of the Page-Nelson Society, Sons of the American Revolution, Descendents of the Signers of the Declaration of Independence, and First Families of Virginia. He loved Colorado and was an avid hiker and skier. He remained in superior physical shape until 2007, when he was involved in an auto-pedestrian accident. Thereafter, his physical health deteriorated, but his optimism and sense of humor did not. He will be remembered as a gracious and dignified gentleman. Bill is survived by his wife, Pamela Nelson; his daughters, Robin Russel (Robert), Kim Nelson (Will Wright), and Anne Cron (Ian), and their mother, Nancy Krum; Pam's daughters, Heather Campbell (Day DeLaHunt), Sharon Pickens (Bruce), and Melinda Stroupe (John); and his nephews, Hugh Thomas Nelson, IV, and Thomas Page Nelson, Jr. He also is survived by six grandchildren: Michael and Emily Russel; Cailey, Madeleine, and Aidan Cron; and Ashley Pickens. He was predeceased by his brother, Thomas Page Nelson, and his son, John Robert Nelson. Bill's memorial service will be at St. John's Cathedral on Friday, January 21 at 2:00 p.m. In lieu of flowers, consider making a donation in his name to any cancer society, to the John Nelson Memorial Fund at Colorado Academy, or to a non-profit of your choice.