Norman Verne Nelson

Norman Verne Nelson, age 91, passed away on Thursday morning, December 18, 2025, at his home at the Sequoia Senior Community in Olympia, Washington. He was a loving and beloved husband, father, and grandfather.

Norm was born in Everett, Washington, on February 9, 1934, to Carl and Nettie Nelson. He grew up on a family farm where his mother raised Norm, his sister, Marilyn, and brothers, Claude and Dean. Norm's father worked as a carpenter in Alaska, unable to rejoin the family until after WW II. Norm graduated from Arlington (WA) High School in 1952. In September 1958, he married Doris (Stauffenecker) Nelson in Foley, Minnesota.

He earned both a bachelor's degree and master's degree in aeronautical engineering from the University of Washington and then worked for his entire career at Boeing where he helped design and test the first stage of the Saturn V rocket that took Apollo astronauts to the Moon, worked on the first anti-satellite weapon, and spent decades working on the Minuteman missile program.

He and Doris helped found All Saints Lutheran Church in Auburn, Washington in 1961. He served for many years on the church council and taught Sunday school. An avid softball and baseball player and coach, he started a church softball team and then after he decided they needed more competition, started a league with other churches in southern King County, which he led for many, many years. He also coached Little League and taught his sons and dozens of other kids fair play.

Norm enjoyed giving speeches, was a Boeing Toastmaster, and often led skits and silly songs at church (usually sung to the tune of "On Top of Old Smoky"). A talented woodworker, for many years, he designed signs for the huge old, wooden billboard on the church property. In retirement, he started "Rhymes and Router Art", selling custom-made wooden plaques at craft fairs.

A funeral for Norm will be held at 11 A.M., February 7, at Kent Lutheran Church. His cremains will be interred at the Tahoma National Cemetery in Kent at a later date. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the All Saints' Lutheran Church Up from the Ashes repair fund.

Norm is survived by his wife, Doris; his sons, Melvin (wife, Amber Nelson) and Michael (wife, Kathleen Doherty); and his granddaughter, Elizabeth Nelson.