Services
Obituary
Harvey David Nelson, 69, of Britt, Iowa, passed peacefully on Friday, December 10, 2021. Similarly to how he dealt with all issues in life, Harvey dealt with his recent illnesses with strength and his version of grace. On his final day, he was surrounded in love by his daughters whom he loved very dearly.
Harvey was a Britt native who appreciated the peace that small communities provided and moved back to his hometown after residing in South Florida for over thirty years. Harvey enjoyed spending time with his lifelong friends, attending local sporting events at the high school with his best friend, Bill, and enjoyed the fauna around his home…the squirrels and birds are really going to miss the feasts he would supply! He was also a lover of animal rescue and rehabilitation, making people laugh with his jokes, and watching movies of all genres (and could recite some line-by-line). One of his most favored movie lines was “Talk to me, Goose” from Top Gun. Recently, he developed a love for the movie, We Bought a Zoo, which he shared with his youngest daughter, Holly. The two of them watched the movie countless times the last time they were together.
“You know, sometimes all you need is twenty seconds of insane courage. Just literally twenty seconds of just embarrassing bravery. And I promise you, something great will come of it.” -Benjamin Mee, We Bought a Zoo
Harvey was a kind and supportive father to two girls, Christina Ann and Holly Elizabeth, whom he raised with his ex-wife and lifelong friend, Charlene Elizabeth, from Fleming Island, Florida. Aside from his daughters and ex-wife, he is also survived by his adorable granddaughters, Sophie Grace, and Abigail Elizabeth, his sister, JoEllen (AJ) Johnson, nephew, Christopher (Shannon) Johnson and their children of Kanawha, IA, many lifelong friends, specifically, Bill Barker, Gary Fox, and Craig Goepel, and his two adopted felines, Swede and Sweetie. He was proceeded in death by his parents, Harvey Albert and Nancy Ann as well as his son-in-law, Anthony Glorioso, and his beloved feline, Sara.
The family will be holding a private memorial in the spring at a cabin off Lake Superior in Minnesota to honor Harvey’s last wishes and desires. It is being asked that any donations be made to local animal shelters in Harvey’s honor.
"All we have is all we need. All we need is the awareness of how blessed we really are." -Sarah Ban Breathnach
Funeral arrangements for Harvey Nelson are pending at Ewing Funeral Home in Britt.