October 12, 2005

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Palo Alto Online

Albert Nelson, longtime Palo Alto counselor and educator

He was born June 23, 1919, in Wells, Minn., and lived there until 1922. He spent the next six years in Iowa.

The family moved to California in 1928, first to Berkeley, then Palo Alto. He attended the new Mayfield Grammar School on El Camino Real, returning there 50 years later as a teacher to complete his 33-year career in education.

After leaving Palo Alto for the first time, he attended elementary and then high school in Hopland, Calif., before the family moved to Easton, Calif., where he graduated from Washington Union High School. He received an associate's degree from Reedley Junior College in 1940.

With the outbreak of World War II, he chose to enlist in the Army Air Corps and served until 1945 as a weather observer in Mountain Village and then Moses Point, both near Nome, Ala. Returning to Fresno after the war, he enrolled in Fresno State College as an education major, following the footsteps of both his parents who were teachers. It was there that he met his future wife, Kathryn L. Taylor, another education major. They were married in 1947.

He spent the next two years teaching in Bakersfield before the couple moved to Palo Alto, where he started a 31-year career with the Palo Alto Unified School District. Well-liked and fondly remembered by his students, he spent the first seven years Jordan Junior High as a math teacher.

After earning a master's degree in education from Stanford University he remained at Jordan for 17 more years as a counselor. He returned to the classroom as a driver's education and training instructor at Palo Alto High School, then the Mayfield Continuation High School, and retired in 1980.

He and his wife were active members of the First United Methodist Church on Hamilton Avenue from 1949 to 1980. From 1966 to 1973, 40 days of each summer were spent traveling the United States with a chartered bus full of 40 high school students. Known as the PAUSD sponsored American Heritage Tour, he spent the year planning and organizing the hotels, stops, and sights. Historical and educational, the trip sold out every year.

All four of his children were born and educated in Palo Alto. His family was very special to him. He enjoyed family get-togethers, as well as working on home-improvement projects on every house he owned. This included laying out and building an addition onto his first home as the family grew.

Volunteer work included the Optimist Club, the Lion's Club, and the American Bell Association. Joining the Lion's Club in Palo Alto, he became president of the Gig Harbor and the Washington, Penn., Lion's Clubs. White Cane Days and eyeglass collection and distribution were especially meaningful before and after his retinal surgeries.

He enjoyed helping Kay organize and put on the 1975 National Convention of the American Bell Association at Asilomar and assisting her when she was the organization's national president in 1980.

Upon retirement, the couple moved to Fox Island, Wash., and enjoyed memorable times until December 1985, when Kay unexpectedly passed away. He remained in the Gig Harbor area and even returned to the schools part time.

At the 1989 ABA convention, he became friends with Peggy Hays of Washington, Penn., and they were married in 1990. Moving to Pennsylvania separated him from his children, but he made frequent trips to California for both big and small events, even building a his fourth model railroad layout.

Christmas and other holidays, as well as grandchildrens' graduations, were never missed. Some of his children made yearly trips to visit him and Peggy. For his 85th birthday, he was given and enjoyed a seven-day cruise, and was in fact only a few days from another California trip when he was hospitalized and passed away.

A life-long traveler, he enjoyed two trips each to Europe and China, as well as Russia, the Middle East and numerous return visits to Alaska via the Inland Passage. His American Heritage Tour covered the United States many times and he has now completed his final journey to Fresno where he lies next to his beloved Kay.

He is survived by his wife, Peggy; his four children, Paul of Valencia, Calif., George of Buena Park, Eric and Diane of Palo Alto; daughters-in-law, June and Evangeline Nelson; and five grandchildren.

Services were held in Pennsylvania and Fresno. The family requests that in lieu of flowers, memorial donations be made to the American Heart Association, 1710 Gilbreth Road, Burlingame, CA 94010; or the Lion's Club of Palo Alto, P.O. Box 976, Palo Alto, CA 94302-0976.

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