HAROLD NIELSEN Jr.

1949 - 2017

Hal Nielsen Harold E. Nielsen Jr. died on Wednesday, March 1, 2017, following a long battle with cancer and respiratory disease. He was born in Tacoma, WA on April 26, 1949 to Harold E. Nielsen Sr. and Alice Nielsen. Hal had one sister, Berna, who died of lupus in 1977 at age 30. His great-grandparents were early settlers on Washington's Olympic Peninsula, and Hal loved to tell stories about their lives and adventures while settling on Lake Ozette in the 1890s. Hal graduated number one in his class at Woodrow Wilson High School in 1967, and received his AA from Tacoma Community College in 1970. He also attended the University of Puget Sound. Hal began his career at the Pierce County Assessor-Treasurer's office in January of 1971. During his 33 years there, he worked for five assessor-treasurers. Upon his retirement, one of his coworkers said, "As new assessor-treasurers came and went, (Hal) was the rock upon which this office stood." He retired in 2003 as an Appraiser 4 and Supervisor of Reviews and Appeals. No matter what was blowing in the political wind, Hal's goal was always to be true to his professional ethics: be a leader, a problem solver, and always keep a sense of humor! Judging by the comments made by his coworkers at his retirement, Hal more than achieved those goals. Working in the assessor-treasurer's office was not enough of a challenge for Hal. In 1975 he was elected to the Tacoma City Council and served two terms, from 1976 to 1983. Due to term limits, he took a break, and then ran again in 1985 and served two more terms, from 1986 to 1993. During his 16 years on the council, he not only served his constituents with dedication, but he also served the entire city as Deputy Mayor for four years. Not wanting too much extra time on his hands, Hal also served on the Tacoma Planning Commission from 1976 to 1993 and the Economic Development Corporation of Pierce County from 1987 to 1993. He was dedicated to Tacoma and was proud to be a part of city government. Hal had interests in addition to his work. He enjoyed classic cars, and had a Porsche in his garage that he worked on restoring for years. He was an avid sports fan, and loved watching the Mariners, Seahawks, and the UW Huskies. He was also a fan of classic rock and roll from the 50s and 60s. One of his greatest points of pride was keeping the hedge around his yard trimmed perfectly. His desire for the newest and best trimming tools resulted in the occasional trip to the ER for stitches. Most of all, Hal loved his dogs, Freddie, Molly, and especially Buddy, his Chihuahua. Buddy was Hal's best friend. Hal was preceded in death by his mother, Alice, in 1964, his sister Berna in 1977, and his uncle Sidney Bates in 2015 at age 102. He was especially close to his father, Harold Sr., who died in 2008 at age 95. He is survived by his cousin Roger Hyppa and his wife, Kristine, his aunt Helen Bates (age 100), and many close friends. His family and friends wish to send a heartfelt thank you to Gisselle and the staff at Bridgeport Place Assisted Living, where Hal lived for seven years. They provided kind and compassionate care to Hal (even though it was difficult at times.) Gisselle once said, "I used to think that Hal was just a grouchy curmudgeon, but now I know he's actually a kind, sweet curmudgeon!" A celebration of Hal's life will be held at one of his favorite places, The Cloverleaf, 6430 Sixth Avenue, Tacoma, WA 98406, on Friday, March 10, from 5:30 to 7:30 pm. Please join us to celebrate Hal Nielsen and a life well lived!