Norman Kent Nielsen's Obituary
Norm Nielsen was a master with a yo-yo. It’s true. He was also a Porsche racer, a collector of old cars, a baker, a mechanic, and a frog jumping contest winner. Norm was a renaissance man. A kind, generous, funny renaissance man who has been described as a true humanitarian. The sort of person who could always make you laugh, a lover of life, and a lifelong learner.
Norm was born in Oakland, California and he lived all his life in the bay area. He was true entrepreneur with many vocations and interests. As a young man Norm spent his mornings baking donuts in his father’s shop. Later he and his father owned a wallpaper business together (Nielsen and Son). Norm held on to this enterprising spirit throughout his life, and even opened a restaurant with his wife Diane where they sold delicious hamburgers and pies baked by Norm. He took on the roles of appliance repairman and generous landlord.
He loved attending his grandchildren’s sporting events, and he became a fixture at basketball, softball, volleyball and cross-country competitions. In the past few years, he also applied his baking skills to providing healthy flax-seed birthday cakes for each of his granddaughter’s celebrations.
Norm was always interested in taking on new project, and in the past ten years he added photographer to his impressive resume of recreational pursuits. Norm shared this interest with his sister Carolyn with whom he was very close. They talked every day, shared photographs and stories, made each other laugh, and occasionally drank wine together via Skype.
He loved his pets and his latest addition Lily, went to the dog park weekly with him for exercise and socialization.
Norm was generous and giving to others. In the past seven years he was deeply involved in creating and supporting the Brothers and Sisters Barber Cosmo Academy, where he served as President of the Board of Directors. This became a source of friendship and true satisfaction for him.
Norm was preceded in death by Diana Lynn Nielsen, his wife of forty-one years, and his parents Stanley and Margaret Nielsen. His dear sister Carolyn Lewis died 36 days after he did.
He was survived by daughter and son-in-law Ruth and Brian Locher; grandchildren Veronica, Elizabeth, Mary and Teresa; Brother-in-law Linwood Lewis; niece Margaret McInerney and her husband Tom, nephew Mark Lewis and his wife Mary, nephew Scott Lewis and his wife Mira; grand-niece and nephews Kelly, Jake, and Josh; cousin Gail Ginder, her husband Jesse, their daughters Erin and Tamara; and cousin Janet Ross.
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