Obituary of John Marshall Nelson

John Marshall Nelson, 81, of Fort Worth, TX, passed away peacefully on July 30th, 2024, surrounded by family.

John was born November 10th, 1942, in DeKalb, Illinois, the son of Alan Evar and Mary Marshall Nelson. Following his early years in Chicago and Denver, the family moved to Los Angeles, where he graduated from Saint Monica’s High School in 1960 and Loyola University in 1964, earning a degree in English and participating in ROTC and Phi Kappa Psi Fraternity. John furthered his education with a Masters in Business Administration from the University of Alabama, graduating with Beta Gamma Sigma.

After marrying Sabin Muir in 1964, John joined the United States Air Force, and served honorably for 21 years and attained the rank of Lieutenant Colonel. John served as a Missile Test Engineer, Missile Operations Officer, Production Officer, and Manager of Industrial Organization. John, Sabin, and their two boys, John Jr. and James were stationed in Arkansas, Okinawa, Japan, Florida, Alabama, and Oklahoma.

John retired from the Air Force in 1978 and moved to Fort Worth, Texas where he was an Operations Manager for 22 years in the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. John married Elizabeth Leatherwood on November 24th, 1990, in Fort Worth. John and Elizabeth raised one daughter and one son, Mary Frances and William. After retiring from the Corps of Engineers, John was a Project Manager for Trinity River Authority for 12 years before retiring again in 2012.

John was a true lover of the arts, appreciating visual art, music, and literature. He enjoyed playing the guitar and banjo, as well as singing his favorite folk songs. John was a member of the Arlington Goodtimes Chorus where he practiced and performed barbershop harmony in his free time. He was a very sentimental person, able to quote beautiful poetry from memory and enjoying song lyrics that explored the complexities of life. Some favorite writers include T.S. Eliot and Shakespeare as well as musicians like Bob Dylan, The Traveling Wilburys, and Diana Krall, and enjoyed sharing songs and quotes to his friends and family. John even wrote his own poetry to his wife, Elizabeth, during their courtship and took extra time picking out greeting cards that expressed his deep feelings for his loved ones. He was a talented artist, particularly enjoying watercolor painting, which he loved sharing with his family for their own homes. John was an avid storyteller, and loved to tell stories to anyone who would listen, even if they had heard it before.

John is survived by his wife, Elizabeth, of Fort Worth; son, John Jr. and wife, Joanne, of Dallas, and children John III, Anna, and Lily; son, James and daughter, Grace, of Kentucky; daughter, Mary Frances, of Fort Worth; son, William and wife, Bailey, of Dallas.

John is preceded in death by his parents, Alan and Mary Nelson.

Memorial Service: 4:00 pm, Tuesday, August 13, 2024 at Marty Leonard Community Chapel, 3131 Sanguinet St., Fort Worth, Texas 76107, with reception to follow at Lena Pope’s Amon Carter Center. Interment will be in the Dallas Fort Worth National Cemetery with family.

Memorial donations in John’s memory may be directed to The Arlington Goodtimes Chorus: https://uta.goodtimeschorus.org/support.php