Henriette Nelson

Henriette "Hank" (Rose) Nelson, 79, passed away Tuesday, June 20, 2023, at Cedar Crest Nursing Home in Cranston. A daughter of the late Henry E. Rose and Eleanor (Cairnes) Rose, she was the beloved wife of Robert N. Nelson.
Henriette is survived by her stepchildren Deborah Galyas, John (Jay) Nelson and his wife Elaine, Norton (Skip) Nelson and his wife Theresa; six grandchildren; eight great grandchildren; her brother Raymond F. Rose and his wife Lillian; her sister-in-law Wanda Rose and many nieces and nephews. She was predeceased by her brother, Robert H. Rose.
A graduate of East Providence High School, Hank started working at Morris Clothes in Providence. She had a true head for numbers and accounting. Her journey changed when she began her work at Brewster Lumber at the Port of Providence. Through a friend, she met a fun-loving man, named Bob Nelson, who charmed her with his flashy car complete with one of the first car phones. At the time his family had taken over the oldest steamship agency in Rhode Island, Goff & Page Company. Bob & Hank were married for over 30 years, running the business together, until his death in 2001. Though the shipping community was a true man's world, and she was way too young to think about retirement. Hank assumed the presidency of Goff & Page and strove forward. She took over Bob's director spot in the North Atlantic Ports Association. She was a staunch member of the Propeller Club, Port of Narragansett Bay and was awarded Maritime Person of the Year in 2010. She decided to close the company in 2018 and proudly locked the doors for good.
Hank loved the ocean and all it offered. This could be witnessed by the 400-lb. marlin she caught and displayed on the wall in her office. She considered herself a pretty good card player, playing on numerous Hi Lo Jack teams. She enjoyed digging in the dirt, very much liked photography and was adept at making CDs out of old photos. She was very proud of getting a Hole in One and made sure she pointed out the plaque and golf ball whenever she had the chance. She shared and encouraged Bob's love of model railroads, transforming her formal living room and dining room in Florida into Bob & Hank Railroad. The multi-level tracks and scenery were to scale and became a stop on a bus tour of model train enthusiasts. Hank always told it like it was. She loved life, her family, and her friends.
Relatives and friends are invited to attend Hank's Mass of Christian Burial on Monday, July 10, 2023, at 10:00 a.m. at Saints John & James Parish, 20 Washington Street, West Warwick, RI. Burial will be private.
In lieu of flowers, donations in her memory made to the Alzheimer's Association at https://www.alz.org/get-involved-now/donate would be appreciated.