Lt. Col. John A. "ret" Nilsson

Graveside service with military honors for Lt. Col. (ret) John A. Nilsson, 91, of Lawton will be held at 11:00 a.m. on Thursday, April 2, 2026 at Fort Sill National Cemetery, Elgin, OK.

Mr. Nilsson passed away on Saturday, March 28, 2026 in Lawton.

Arrangements are under the direction of Lawton Ritter Gray Funeral Home.

There will be a special visitation for family and friends on Wednesday, April 1, 2026 from 5:00 p.m. until 7:00 p.m. at the funeral home.

John (known as Arne as a child) was born on May 5, 1934 in Bingham, Utah to Bernt and Irma (Johansson) Nilsson. After attending college for several years, he enlisted in the United States Army in October of 1956 and attended the Field Artillery Officer Candidate School and was commissioned in July of 1958. He served in Germany from 1958 to 1960 and two tours in Vietnam. While in the army, he met his future wife, Mary Nansel. He and Mary were married on December 18, 1960 in Genoa, Nebraska and they were blessed with two daughters, Karna and Kristin. During his time in the military, he received numerous meritorious awards, including Parachute Badge, Combat Infantry Badge, Air Medal, and two Bronze Stars. They moved to Lawton, Oklahoma in 1972 and he retired in July 1977 with the rank of Lieutenant Colonel. Education was important to him and he earned his undergraduate degree from the University of Omaha while in the military. After retirement, he earned a Bachelor of Science in Accounting from Cameron University and a Master's in Economics from the University of Oklahoma. After retiring from the service, he spent 20+ years with Goodyear Tire and Rubber Company, retiring from the position of Industrial Engineer in June 1999. He then spent many years as a volunteer assisting with income tax preparation through AARP tax Foundation at the Center for Creative Living.

John was truly a force of nature, surviving numerous health issues over recent years, always with a smile on his face. He was known for his sense of humor and witty responses. He was an active person his entire life. He coached his girl's softball teams and was the muscle of their Girl Scout troops when they were young. He was the designated driver on family vacations. John was an avid runner for many years and loved to spend any day on the golf course. He and Mary were active for many years in Sill-O-Ette Square Dance Club. He loved to travel with Mary and friends Cliff and Joan Wolfe. He truly loved his grandchildren and was very proud of them.

Survivors include his loving wife, of 65 years, Mary, his favorite oldest daughter, Karna Bertucci (Martin) and his favorite youngest daughter Kristin Cronkright (Todd), and four grandchildren, Jordan (Sal) Garretto, and Matthew, Geoffrey, and Nicholas Bear.

He was very much loved and will greatly be missed by all who knew him.

He was preceded in death by his parents; John and Irma Nilsson; and sister, Ann Lloyd.

In Lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to Center for Creative Living in Lawton, OK and the Salvation Army.