Tributes

RICHARD FRANKLIN NELSON Richard "Dick" Franklin Nelson, 80, of Ocala, passed away on January 26. Dick was born on March 27, 1940, to Henry George Nelson and Grace Stoffel in Charleston, West Virginia. After troublemaking with the Red Lantern Boys at Whitmer High School in Toledo, Ohio, he went on to study at the University of Toledo...until Uncle Sam came knocking. Sam voluntold Dick to serve for two years, eleven months, and twenty-nine days--not that he counted--in the Army Security Agency. If he told you what he did there, he'd've had to terminate you. He worked for the U.S. Defense Department as an instructor at Fort Devens, Massachusetts, then was recruited by defense contractor Sanders Associates in Nashua, New Hampshire for nine years. After that, he signed on with the Navy Department in 1975 at Pinecastle Electronic Warfare Range in Florida. In 1987, he accepted an opportunity with Marion County, Florida, as the 9-1-1 Director, where he served until his retirement in 2007. Dick implemented an Enhanced 9-1-1 system in Marion County, a place one-and-a-half times larger than the state of Rhode Island--1624 square miles. Enhanced 9-1-1 is a service that automatically displays the telephone number and physical location of the 9-1-1 caller on the emergency operator's screen, so more people can be saved from emergencies, even if they're unable to speak. His group also worked to assign a physical address to everyone in Marion County, so everyone could use this life-saving system. Along with his 9-1-1 duties, he served for seven years as Chairman of the Florida Statewide 9-1-1 Coordinator Group, and for six years on the Board of Officers for the Florida Chapter of The Association of Public Safety Communications Officials International, Inc. (APCO), serving as President from 2000-2001. In 1994, he received his Certified Public Manager designation from the Florida Center for Public Management at Florida State University, and in 2004, he was awarded the honor of APCO lifetime membership. Dick married Maxine Russell in 1974, and she put up with him ever since, through all the bad jokes and even worse movies. With laughter and love, they raised four children and have six grandchildren. All the kids cherish and miss him, despite the watching and re-watching of The Hunt for Red October. So. Many. Times. (That's a joke. Mostly.) Dick was a member of The Benevolent and Protective Order of the Elks for 23 years. He began volunteering and performing at the Ocala Civic Theatre in 1983. He was Chairman of the Technical Committee for the Play-A-Part Campaign to build the new theatre from 1986-1988. Audiences enjoyed his talent, humor, singing, and dancing on OCT's stage in shows such as Oklahoma, Music Man, Anything Goes, and many more. His joyful hamming-it-up was inherited by his kids, two of whom joined him performing at OCT, and who, even now, annoy their friends and spouses in his honor. Dick is survived by his wife, Maxine; his children, Martti Collins (Marc), Kenneth Nelson (Marissa), Eric Paro (Courtney) and Lisa Nelson; and his brother Thomas Nelson (Judy). He saved lives through his groundbreaking work for Marion County, and he brought smiles to everyone who knew him.

Tributes

Richard Franklin Nelson

March 27, 1940 - January 26, 2021