Gail Anderson Nelson

1937 - 2024

Gail Anderson Nelson passed away, after an acute illness, on May 8, 2024 in her independent unit at St. James Place, with her daughter's comforting touch, reminiscing about all of the wonderful memories of family. She is now forever healed from her interstitial lung disease and in the welcoming arms of her husband, the Honorable Sydney Banks Nelson, who passed away on January 10, 2022. Gail was born on March 29, 1937, in Brunswick, Georgia to William Wyatt Anderson and Lottie Palmer Johnson Anderson. She had a brother born March 2, 1935, before her, known as Little Billy (William Wyatt Anderson, Jr.), who died in the flu epidemic. She always said her father kept her crib right by their bed for the first year, vigilantly watching over her, as a result of their losing their first child. She had twin brothers born two years after her, March 27, 1939, John Palmer Anderson and Wyatt Wheaton Anderson. Gail and her parents moved to New Orleans when she was fifteen months old (her father worked for the federal government as a marine biologist even has a species of shrimp named after him!). She lived there for ten and a half years, ultimately skipping a grade because when she started school, schools started grades both in September and January, then abolished that system, so she finished half of sixth grade, then jumped to seventh grade when they moved to Sarasota, FL. She moved to Galveston, TX for her 9th and 10th grade years; there she learned how to drive on the Galveston beaches. She moved back to Brunswick, GA for 11th and 12th grades, where she graduated Most Intelligent as voted by her classmates. This designation would have a significant impact on her life. When Sydney Banks Nelson was sent to a naval school in the area, he attended church in Brunswick and was invited home for lunch by Gail's Sunday school teacher. Syd asked if his hostess knew any nice girls he might date while there. She pulled out the yearbook from Gail's graduating year. As Syd perused the yearbook, he found a full-page spread of Gail, voted Most Intelligent, and also very beautiful. After persistent calls for a date, they dated two weeks straight. He was sent back to his ship from the naval school, but they wrote letters every day. On his next break, he arranged for her to take a bus to Andalusia, AL, to her aunt's house, and Syd drove there to pick her up and take her to meet his parents in Benton, LA. On the way there, he pulled to the side of the road and asked her to marry him! She of course said yes. Syd and Gail lived in Key West, FL initially, which is where their daughter Denise Dawn Nelson (now Akers) was born. They then moved to Baton Rouge, LA for Syd to enter LSU Law School. Gail was a Registered Nurse, and worked in Brunswick, then Key West, then in Baton Rouge, LA until their second child, a son, Sydney Stephen Nelson (Stephen), was born. Syd and Gail moved to Shreveport upon his graduation from law school. Gail was Syd's valiant supporter, and the glue that kept the family running. Family was first and foremost her love, yet she also had many friends and a great passion for serving others, especially through their church, First United Methodist Church of Shreveport. She and Syd were one of the early members and enthusiastic supporters of Co-Wed Sunday School class there. The family cannot possibly list all the ways Gail served, but a partial list is as youth chaperones for the FUMC youth group, when Denise and Stephen were small, PTA President many years, volunteer teacher assistant in Denise's 5th grade class (almost full time, because of problems with the school then; it was this assistance that helped Denise and some of her classmates to complete two years of math that year), wedding coordinator at the church for many years, service and leadership on the parsonage committee for many years, Girl Scout leader, active in what is now the United Women in Faith (formerly United Methodist Women) all her life, and membership on, then head of, the Board of Trustees for the United Methodist Church, Louisiana Conference (she was head of this committee, in charge of all Methodist properties, during and after Hurricane Katrina, so was very involved in the recovery and restoration of the United Methodist Churches that were affected. She also served her family valiantly. She cared for her mother after her father's death by flying over to Georgia many times, then bringing her mother back to Shreveport. She cared for Syd's parents, George Gus Nelson and Eunice Lilley Young Nelson, in their later years. She stayed weeks with her grandchildren when sick and planned fun summer weekly "camps" at her home for them on a yearly basis. She was the epitome of love! About twelve years ago, Syd and Gail moved to Baton Rouge, Louisiana, St. James Place, to be closer to their daughter. While here, Gail was one of the first female Presidents of the Residence Association. They joined and became very active at First United Methodist Church, Baton Rouge, with Gail serving as President of Rings 'N Ivy Sunday School class for five years and being actively involved in Robinson Circle, which her daughter chaired and a lifelong second daughter, Amy Brossette Odom, co-chaired. Above all, though, Gail's devotion to her family was paramount. She was famous in the family for never forgetting a significant event she sent birthday cards out like clockwork for all family and close friends. All of the grandkids grew up going to Gail and Syd's home in Shreveport for holidays, with many fond memories. Gail always had banana and cranberry breads for breakfast, for which she was famous in her family circle. She was the most organized person any of them knew, and her home immaculate. She would come at a moment's notice if any grandchild (or great-grandchild) were sick and the parents needed assistance. One great joy later in life was that Gail and Syd moved to Baton Rouge shortly before their first great-grandchild, Reagan Shugart, was born. Since Gail's granddaughter, Heather Shugart, was working, Gail (and Syd!, but mostly Gail) took care of Reagan several days a week; she became a fixture at St. James Place! Her relationships with all of her grandchildren and her two great-grandchildren brought her such joy. She was preceded in death by her husband, Sydney ("Syd") Banks Nelson, her parents, William Wyatt Anderson and Lottie Palmer Johnson Anderson, her brothers William Wyatt Anderson, Jr. and Wyatt Wheaton Anderson, and her grandson James ("Jay") Burt Akers. She is survived by her daughter Denise Dawn Nelson Akers (James "Jim" Bert Akers, Jr.), her son Sydney Stephen Nelson (Elsa Valderrama Nelson), her four grandchildren, Heather Aileen Akers Shugart (Andrew Michael Shugart), Christopher ("Chris") Nelson Akers, Anna Kathryn Nelson, William Alexander ("Alex") Nelson (Ashlyn Saab Nelson), and her two great-grandchildren, Reagan Dawn Shugart and Zander James Shugart. She is also survived by her brother John Palmer Anderson (Mary Agnes "Cissie" Harris Anderson), her sister-in-law, Margaret Anderson, her brother-in-law, George Gus Nelson, Jr., and her brother-in-law, Robert Young Nelson. A memorial service will be conducted at First United Methodist Church, Baton Rouge, on May 25, 2024, with visitation at 10am and service at 11am. A memorial service and burial will be conducted in Shreveport, Louisiana at a later date this fall. Memorials in the name of Gail Anderson Nelson may be made to First United Methodist Church, 930 North Blvd, Baton Rouge, LA 70802 or to the Immune Deficiency Foundation, either online at www.primaryimmune.org or by mailing to Immune Deficiency Foundation, P.O. Box 735108, Chicago, IL 60673-5108.