Richard "Dick" Nelson

Richard "Dick" Nelson, 96

Richard Herbert "Dick" Nelson died peacefully at Logan Health Kalispell on October 27th. He was 96. He was born in Portland, Oregon on April 7th, 1929. He is preceded by his first wife, Elizabeth Kindley Nelson. He is survived by his wife, Carol Abney Nelson, two siblings, Carol Davis, Helen Willians Yost, his children, Stephanie Nelson, Jennie Nelson (Stephen Simko), Beth Nelson, Rebecca Nelson (Vincient Rannazzisi), and Morgan Nelson (Ivy Taylor), along with four grandchildren and four great-grandchildren.

Dick was a professional writer his entire career. He began writing radio shows in the early 1950s, then relocated with his family to Los Angeles in the mid-1950s when television became more popular. He began writing westerns such as "Wagontrain" and "Gunsmoke," then branched out to police and detective shows, medical dramas, and family sagas such as "Dynasty." Other credits include episodes of "The Man from Uncle," "Wonder Woman," and "Murder She Wrote." The internet movie database IMDB lists over 60 series that he wrote for. He was also known as a talented "script doctor," editing and improving scripts of other writers.

In 1969, he purchased a ranch property near Olney, where he would take the family for summers while he wrote his scripts in a cabin. An avid hunter, fisherman, and gatherer of mushrooms and berries since his youth in Oregon, he achieved his goal of moving to Montana and retiring from professional writing in 1988.

Dick and Carol placed most of their property, 300 acres, under conservatorship with the Flathead County Land Trust in 2009. It was important to the couple that the parcel, bisected by Good Creek, remain intact as a haven for wildlife.

Dick was an avid collector of eclectic art, and had numerous hobbies such as raising orchids and stamp collecting. You could always find him with a book by his side, playing chess with his dear friend Joe Velas, or in front of the TV, spoiling shows for his family by predicting the endings. He enjoyed post office runs and chatting with neighbors.

Dick was adopted, and in 2011, he discovered his birth family via Ancestry.com. He learned he was the oldest of 11 half-siblings, and he was reunited with a number of them at a special family reunion in Washington.

Dick was in failing health in his final years, and resided in Kalispell Assisted Living and Lakeview Rehabilitation and Nursing in his final year. The family would like to thank the caregivers of these facilities.