Maxine Nelson

Maxine “Max” Nelson, 85, bada** and force of nature, passed away on June 21. Her husband, Richard “Dick” Nelson, predeceased her in 2021. Now they get to haunt people together! Maxine was born on June 27, 1940, in Nashua, New Hampshire. She attended Tufts University and formerly held DOD Secret and AEC Q clearances. We’d tell you more, but then we’d have to . . . Throughout her life, Maxine was a brilliant working mother who brought home the bacon and turned it into BLTs (hold the lettuce, a waste of space that, instead, could be additional bacon). She not only worked for defense contractors and major corporations, but also started two successful businesses in the 1970s and 1980s. See? Bada**! Standing up for oneself, especially not allowing anyone to treat her like a silly little feeeemale, was called “Pulling a Maxine,” coined by her daughter Martti’s college friends. A whole group of young women learned to value themselves and speak their truths from Bonus Mom Max. In her 70s, Maxine told breast cancer to go to hell. Early morning the day after her mastectomy, she called her husband, Dick, and the kids, sleeping at home, saying, “Where are you? I’m ready to go!” The crew scrambled, bleary-eyed, into the car. Upon arrival at the hospital, Max was dressed, sitting up, and laughing with her surgeon. She turned down all pain meds and fully recovered. She literally Pulled a Maxine on breast cancer. For over 40 years, she was a beloved employee of, or volunteer for, the Ocala Civic Theater. She did everything from being the Marketing Director to the President of the Board to President of Act 4/Ovations! Since that wasn’t enough, she’d take on the roles of stage manager, box office manager, volunteer coordinator, dish and bottle washer, official Theater Cat petter, and she probably painted some frigging sets, too. She did it all while politely telling the lazy and/or uncooperative to remove their [redacted] from their [other redacted] when necessary. But Pulling a Maxine also involved supporting the crap out of her kids, teaching us that we were loved and could do anything we set our minds and hearts to. Maxine is survived by her children and grandchildren, Martti Collins (spouse Marc), Kenneth Nelson (spouse Marissa, children Ronan and Lila Rose), Eric Paro (spouse Courtney, children Eli and Cole), and Lisa Nelson (children Kimmy and Joey). Plus, dozens of theater kids for whom she was a second mom. She will be incredibly missed. The family encourages everyone to have ice cream tonight in honor of Max, who would tell you that memorial ice cream has no calories—that’s just science.

Maxine Nelson

June 27, 1940 - June 21, 2026