Leonard Nelson

**Lenny Francis Nelson Jr.**

*June 13, 1955 - September 8, 2025*

Leonard "Lenny" Francis Nelson Jr. passed away of natural causes on Monday, September 8, 2025, at his home in Mesa, Arizona. He was seventy years old.

Lenny was born on June 13, 1955, in Golden, Colorado, to a military family. In June of 1959, he arrived in Alaska with his parents-Leonard Sr. and Kathryn-alongside his siblings Janice and Donald. The family's journey through military life eventually settled them in Muldoon, a working-class neighborhood east of downtown Anchorage. The birth of sister Sandie following the 1964 earthquake completed the Nelson household.

Growing up in Alaska during the 1960s offered Lenny a childhood rich with adventure and exploration. He spent countless days roaming the Chugach foothills with neighborhood friends, skiing at Arctic Valley and Russian Jack Park, riding dirt bikes and snowmachines, building tree forts, and crafting homemade pop-can cannons. With his father, he hunted ducks and moose in the fall and ran traplines for beaver during the colder winter months. Summers were filled with camping trips and target "plinking" along the tank trails or on the family homestead above Stuckagain Heights. These formative years-full of scrapes, crashes, and camaraderie-left an indelible mark on Lenny's character.

Lenny graduated early from East High School in 1972 and enlisted in the U.S. Navy at just seventeen. Stationed at Imperial Beach, California, he served as a helicopter mechanic and rose to the rank of Chief Petty Officer before being honorably discharged in February 1976. True to form, his return to Alaska was marked by resilience: when his pickup broke down just north of Whitehorse in the Yukon Territory, Lenny hitchhiked the rest of the way to Anchorage wearing only jeans, a Levi jacket, and cowboy boots.

In his twenties, Lenny honed his skills as a technician and draftsman. Having started as a teenager drafting land-use maps and tax plats, he built a long and successful career as a surveyor and cartographer. His work took him across Alaska and into Russia, mapping mines, pipelines, and oil field infrastructure. He also traveled for pleasure-his time spent exploring Thailand and Cambodia remained among his fondest memories.

In his mid-forties, Lenny purchased a modest rambler-style home in Anchorage's Wonder Park neighborhood. There he found joy in transforming the house into a reflection of himself-quirky yet solidly built-with years spent remodeling rooms and cultivating gardens full of flowers, fruit trees, rhubarb patches, and raspberry bushes. He shared his harvests generously with friends and neighbors each fall. One year he even entered his apples into the State Fair-not for accolades but simply for the joy of participating.

Lenny had a deep love for animals. Over the years he adopted several dogs-Thule, Snickers, Jethro Bodine, and Suzy-Q-as well as cats who came and went on their own terms. Two turtles also made their home with him for many years.

After retiring from fieldwork, Lenny turned to woodworking with characteristic dedication. He converted his oversized garage into a full-fledged workshop where he crafted high-quality cabinets and furniture for homes and businesses throughout Anchorage. His meticulous attention to detail reflected not only technical skill but also a quiet reverence for craftsmanship-a legacy that endures through each piece he created.

In 2019, Lenny decided it was time to leave Alaska behind. He sold his beloved home and moved to Mesa, Arizona. There he found comfort in the familiar silhouette of the Usery Mountains to the east-a landscape that reminded him of home at dusk. His final years were spent quietly: enjoying classic films and rock music; making monthly trips to Las Vegas; reflecting on life; deepening his Christian faith; and cherishing occasional visits from friends and family.

Though never one to seek attention or praise, Lenny lived with quiet courage and unwavering perseverance. His was a life shaped by hard work, self-reliance, generosity without expectation-and above all-a deep connection to place.

Lenny is remembered by many who knew him near and far. He is survived by his sisters Janice Nelson and Sandra Forceskie; brothers Donald Nelson, Ned Nelson, and Lars Nelson; stepmother Jane Nelson; nephews Michael Dozark and James Dozark; nieces Anya Mattioda, Teja Dozark, Katrina Adams; cousins Jackie Nelson-Paulnil and David Nelson Jr.

He was preceded in death by his parents Leonard F. Nelson Sr., Kathryn "Kay" Jacobs; stepfather Arthur "Art" Jacobs; maternal grandparents Frank and Stella Mashione; paternal grandfather Leonard B. Nelson; grandmother Lilian Honeyball and her husband Irwin Honeyball; great-uncle Lars Nelson; great-aunt Jean Nelson; nephew Nicholas Demming; niece Rachel Tragesser.

May those who knew him find comfort in their memories of Lenny-a man who lived simply but fully-and may his legacy endure through every map drawn by his hand, every garden planted with care, every cabinet built with precision... each one bearing quiet witness to a life well lived.