Ray B Nelson

Our beloved patriarch Ray B Nelson passed away on January 27, 2023, from causes related to age. He was born in Ogden, Utah to Samuel and Julia Beus Nelson on November 4, 1930. He grew up in Ogden and attended Weber High where he played football and boxed. He excelled at both sports. He attended Weber State College for one year and played tight end on the football team. He served a successful mission in the Canada Ontario Mission when he turned 19.

After his mission he married Sharon Halverson within weeks of returning home. They were married in the Salt Lake Temple and have been happily married since then. He loved and adored her. Sharon passed away almost five months ago on August 29, 2022.

Ray started working at an early age milking cows and other farm chores. He worked for several of the neighbors’ farms in Ogden. When he wasn’t working his dad would take him fishing up Burch Creek or on the Weber River. He cherished the time with his dad fishing and said several times what a good fisherman he was. Unfortunately Rays dad was taken in a random shooting on July 24, 1943 when he was 12. His brother Dale was killed shortly thereafter fighting in World War II and Ray became the man of the house.  That’s when Uncle Joe stepped in and took him under his wing. He often talked about how good uncle Joe was to him. 

Ray was a plumber and welder for Halverson Mechanical for most of his career. He has been a foreman on several large buildings and other plumbing projects and usually his jobs came in ahead of time and under budget. Ray also had a tree farm where he raised mostly conifer trees and some deciduous trees. He has met many people and worked with several local landscapers over the last 30 years. He loved his farm.

Ray loved to hunt, fish, hike and explore. He and his cousin Tom would hike up Waterfall Canyon to Mt Ogden every Easter when he was younger. He did a 50-mile hike in Yellowstone up the Bechler River to fish. He has explored many of the technical slot canyons in Southern Utah including Pine Creek, Keyhole and the Left Fork of North Creek. He flew into a remote river in Alaska and floated the river for two weeks in search of Salmon. He has made the hike down to Havasu, as well as Buckskin Gulch and the Wave. He used to take his boat across Yellowstone Lake and the Gorge and camped and fished for a week every summer. He enjoyed good health and when hunting season came around it was no problem to hike the 5000 vertical feet to hunt. He loved being outside enjoying nature and wild places.

He was an active and faithful member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and held many callings including Bishop in addition to many other callings.

Ray is survived by his daughter, Karen and his sons, Doug (Beth) and Mark, 9 grandchildren and 11 great-grandchildren. He was preceded in death by his wife, Sharon; his daughter, Susan and his son, Scott. 

Funeral services will be held on Saturday, February 4, 2023 at 11 a.m. at Lindquist’s Ogden Mortuary, 3408 Washington Blvd. Friends may visit with family on Friday from 6 to 8 p.m. at the mortuary. Family and close friends are invited Saturday at 10:15 a.m. to say a final goodbye to Ray and have a family prayer at the mortuary. Interment, Lindquist’s Washington Heights Memorial Park, 4500 Washington Blvd.

Services will be live-streamed and available the day of the services by scrolling to the bottom of Ray’s obituary page at: www.lindquistmortuary.com, where condolences may also be shared.

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