Donald Nielson Obituary Nielsen D. James Nielsen, age 76, passed away suddenly on the afternoon of July 18, 2005. Preceded in death by his parents, Hulda (Peg) and Thorvald (Ted) Nielsen, he is survived by his loving family: wife, Joanna; daughter, Sara; son, Kirk; and three grandchildren, David, Kathryn, and Emily. Jim grew up in Minneapolis and, while at Roosevelt High School, the Eagle Scout distinguished himself with such accomplishments as a column called So What? in the student newspaper and a state track title in hurdles. He was a member of the University of Minnesota's 1948 national championship and 1949 Big Ten championship track teams. He served as a commissioned officer in the U.S. Navy from 1952 to 1954, after which he graduated from the University of Minnesota law school. He enjoyed a long and busy career as a lawyer, practicing in the areas of business law, corporate finance, securities litigation, and trusts and estates. Over the years he helped numerous family businesses organize and reorganize. He served for many years as general counsel and board member for the Park Nicollet Institute. An avid political organizer, he worked on Harold LeVander's victorious 1966 gubernatorial campaign, served as Republican Party chairman for Minnesota's 3rd Congressional District, and was campaign manager for Rep. Bill Frenzel's successful first run for a U.S. Congress seat in 1970. After his lifelong wife, Joanna, to whom he was married 54 years, and his family, Jim's passion was the outdoors. He was a dedicated fly fisherman and bird hunter, a devotee of Labrador retrievers, and a collector of art that reflected his love for the wilderness, especially that of the mountainous West. A perennial supporter of conservation organizations, including Ducks Unlimited, Trout Unlimited, and the Atlantic Salmon Federation, he served terms as president of the Minnesota Chapter of the National Wild Turkey Federation and chairman of the Minnesota Board of Water and Soil Resources. In 1998, he founded an annual scholarship to support University of Minnesota track athletes. Most recently, he sat on the Bell Museum of Natural History's board of directors. A tireless reader of books and constant student of history, he was fond of a good yarn and loved to travel. A service in celebration of his life will be held at 11:00 a.m. Monday, July 25, at Wayzata Community Church, 125 Wayzata Blvd, Wayzata, MN. A reception will immediately follow at Lafayette Club, 2800 Northview Road, Minnetonka Beach, MN. Memorial donations may be made to the University of Minnesota Foundation, 200 Oak Street SE, Suite 500, Mpls, MN 55455 or the Bell Museum of Natural History, 10 Church Street SE, Mpls, MN 55455.