Edward William Nelsen

Edward William Nelsen, most recently of Fort Myers, Florida, passed at age 67 on June 26, 2026.

Born on August 10, 1958, the first of two sons to Milton and Carole (Hartmann) Nelsen, Ed grew up in Tenafly, New Jersey. After graduating from Bergen County Vocational High School, he worked in Tenafly as a building custodian and served in the New Jersey Army National Guard for six years. He then moved with his family to Granville, New York, where he worked for many years as a veterinary assistant before retiring to Florida.

Ed enjoyed many and varied interests and hobbies. Taught by his father at an early age, he remained an avid and formidable chess player. He loved reading about history and had an almost encyclopedic knowledge of the Civil War and World War II. He was an amateur radio enthusiast and a fan and collector of classic television programs and movies (with a special affinity for classic horror and “B”-budget science fiction). A natural athlete who taught himself to switch-hit and throw as a youth, Ed attained a purple belt in karate. He liked watching sports, especially football, and enjoyed riding a bicycle . When he lived in New Jersey, he kept a small sailboat on the Hudson River, and he and his father twice chartered larger vessels to sail in the Caribbean.

He loved all animals but especially cats and cared for many throughout his life.

He was preceded in death by his mother in 1998 and his father in 2011. He is survived by his little brother Eric and sister-in-law Carol, as well as many cousins, including Kurt Hartmann, his best friend and chess partner in Fort Myers.

There are no services scheduled at this time, but Ed’s family suggests a donation to your favorite animal shelter in Ed’s name as a fitting tribute to this unique man. Friends and family will always remember him as one who lived life on his own terms, and he will be missed.