Our beloved long-winded Uncle Gary has passed. Known best for always being there if you needed a lawn mowed or a conspiracy theory to explain the white streaks coming from the planes above. 

As a youngster, Gary was part of the Nelson boys, delivering newspapers all across Fortuna in the late 1940’s. They even enlisted their little sister during crunch time.

Gary was proud to serve in the U.S. Marine Corps as a young man and traveled far and wide in the early 1960s, including Guantánamo Bay. He was an expert marksman. But once his tour was over, he came back home and rarely left Humboldt County. Gary used to take pictures for the newspaper and for fun, but somewhere along the way he got lost in a field and preferred to cut the vines and till the soil. He seemed at peace with his solitary life, but would talk with you for hours if you let him. 

While Gary was not a father himself, he did fatherly things for his nephews. His cherished red GTO was coveted by his young nephews, who never got to drive it. He could also fix anything, and would read up if he didnt know how. And for some reason, he always had a crisp $100 bill for you if you hadn’t visited in a while.

He is survived by his sister Pat and brother George, his three nephews, a niece, and numerous great nieces and nephews. He will forever stay in our hearts. Everyone knows, once he moved in, he would never leave. He will be missed. Gary Duane Nelson died on July 21, 2023, in Eureka. He was 85 years old.

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The obituary above was submitted on behalf of Gary Nelson’s loved ones. The Lost Coast Outpost runs obituaries of Humboldt County residents at no charge. See guidelines here. Email news@lostcoastoutpost.com.