Timothy John Nelson of Medina, MN, unexpectedly passed away peacefully in his sleep on January 4, 2023, at the age of 53. Tim was born in Coon Rapids, MN, to Ralph and Judy (Zemke) Nelson. He graduated from Anoka High School in 1988 where he participated in football and track. He graduated from St. Cloud State University with a major in Travel and Tourism and was employed by Carlson Travel as an event coordinator; his favorite event was when he organized a motorcycle tour through Spain. Tim changed his career path and entered the health care industry as an eligibility analyst for Express Scripts and later with Prime Therapeutics. He was recruited by Ambient Consulting as a business analyst and had been consulting on projects with Essentia Health for the past several years.
In 1999 Tim married Stacey Anderson at Messiah Methodist Church and together they welcomed Brady Alexander in 2001 and Abigail Elizabeth in 2003. Tim was a devoted husband and dad and was proud of his family. He was very involved in his children’s lives and rarely missed a basketball, soccer, baseball, or volleyball game. He loved coaching Brady’s youth baseball teams throughout Brady’s elementary and junior high years. He also took great pride in coaching Abby’s basketball teams throughout her elementary years.
One of Tim’s passions was playing softball; in his younger years often playing several nights a week. He played with the “Foul Play” team from 2004 through the fall of 2022 and finished the season strong! Tim greatly appreciated the camaraderie he had with his teammates. An important goal of Tim’s was to continue playing softball until Brady turned 18 and could join the team. Being able to play with Brady the past few years was one of his greatest joys. After Brady would make an awesome catch or hit a home run, Tim would often be heard yelling from the dugout, “I taught him that” or “That’s my son!”
Like many dads, Tim was protective of his “little girl,” and they had a special bond. He was the only one she allowed to call her Abigail, and they enjoyed their special times alone over boneless wings at BWW.
In 2016 Tim was diagnosed with kidney cancer and underwent surgery to remove his kidney. He met the challenge head on, maintained a positive attitude and opted for a horrific form of immunotherapy treatment to fight the cancer. Tim had not required further cancer treatment for the past five years.
Tim and Stacey spent many weekends at their camper in Waseca with family and friends playing competitive games of corn hole, sand volleyball, “joy riding” on the golf cart, and sitting by the campfire. They also enjoyed trips to Florida, and meeting friends for happy hour or dinner. Tim liked snowmobiling and his loud cars/trucks. He was obsessed with keeping his vehicles clean and definitely got his money’s worth from his monthly unlimited car wash pass.
Tim dedicated countless hours serving multiple years on the Plymouth/Wayzata Youth Baseball Association Board as well as coaching and organizing tryouts and tournaments. Tim’s giving nature was again evident when he planned a trip to a NASCAR race in North Carolina with a friend who was battling ALS. Tim was also able to arrange a surprise “meet and greet” with Jeff Gordon who was his friend’s favorite driver.
Tim was preceded in death by his mother, Judy Hooper; stepfather, Steven Hooper; maternal and paternal grandparents.
Tim is lovingly survived by Stacey, his wife of 23 years, and his children Brady and Abigail; father, Ralph Nelson; sister, Carrie (Keith) McKellips; aunt Bonnie (Jan) Bruinooge; uncle, Steve Zemke; mother-in-law and father-in-law, Beth and Ken Anderson; brother-in-law, Wade (Robin) Anderson; nephews, Dalton, Nick and Nate McKellips; nieces, Brianna and Alexa Anderson; other family members and countless friends.
The most painful goodbye is the one that is never said and never explained. Tim was loved by his family and friends and his passing leaves a huge void in our lives that will never be filled. We are heartbroken.
A celebration of Tim’s life will be held Friday, January 20 at Messiah Methodist Church, 17805 County Road 6, Plymouth, with a service at 2 p.m. and visitation one hour prior. In lieu of flowers, memorials are preferred.
Tim's service will be livestreamed (will not be available on demand after the service):
· Go to messiahchurch.org/live/
· Click on the "Worship Live" tab
· On the day of the service, there will be a slide with Tim's picture and "Celebrating the Life of Tim Nelson, the service will begin shortly" so viewers will know they are in the right place. When the service begins, streaming will begin and will continue until the service ends.
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