Dr. E. Harold Nelson

Dr. E. Harold Nelson passed away peacefully in his sleep on Wednesday, September 10th due to complications from Acute Myeloid Leukemia. He spent his final two weeks at home in hospice care; comfortable, smiling and laughing with his family and close friends at his side.

Harold was born September 3rd, 1943 in Montezuma, Georgia. He was preceded in death by his parents, John Robert and Hazel Rodgers Nelson as well as his younger brother, Phillip Wayne Nelson.

He is survived by his wife Winifred “Penny” Lariscy Nelson, daughter Anne-Brown Adams, son Phillip and daughter-in-law Norris Nelson. He has four grandchildren: Phillip and Jackson Adams and Helen and Hollis Nelson.

Dr. Nelson is a graduate of Macon County High School where he was class valedictorian, University of Georgia, and the Medical College of Georgia. After completing his internship at MCG, he was drafted and inducted into the U.S. Army Medical Corps and served as a field surgeon in Vietnam for a year.

During his service, Harold was awarded: The National Defense Service Medal, Vietnam Campaign Medal, Vietnam Service Medal with Bronze Star, Vietnam Air Medal, Army Medal of Commendation with two Oak Leaf Clusters, the Bronze Star Medal and Combat Medical Badge.

After the army, he completed his residency in diagnostic radiology at MCG. He was board certified by the American College of Radiology who, later in his career, awarded him a Fellowship in their organization. Near the end of his time in practice, Dr. Nelson was asked and agreed to serve on the Council of the American College of Radiology.

Harold practiced in Augusta his entire career. At various points, he served as the President of Doctors Hospital Medical Staff, Chairman of the Radiology Department at both Doctors and University Hospitals, a member of the University Health System Council, and the University Physicians Association Board. In addition, Dr. Nelson had stints as President of the Richmond County Medical Society and President of the Georgia Radiological Society.

Dr. Nelson retired at the end of 2002 and spent the ensuing decades focused on being an attentive husband and an active grandfather. During this time, his children were struck by how dedicated Harold was to his belief that – as long as you are making new friends and growing your relationships with existing ones – you never get old.

His weekly Monday night couples’ dinners allowed him to stay connected to his close friends as they compared stories of various ailments, doctors visits, children and grandchildren.

He developed his golf game as well as a love for his buddies in the Geezers Golf Group at Forest Hills Golf Club where he was a member. In addition, his life was immeasurably enhanced by the countless wonderful people he got to know, and the volunteer activities in which he participated, at Trinity on the Hill Methodist Church where he was also a member.

Dr. Nelson was raised working in the vegetable fields of southwest Georgia. The long, hot days of his youth did not discourage him from dreaming of a life beyond the farm. In fact, it fueled in him a sense of boyish optimism regarding all of the good that the world and its people have to offer.

Over his 82 years, Harold carried this youthful enthusiasm into each day. He always had an overwhelming sense of positivity regarding the eventual outcome of every opportunity or challenge he faced. This attitude spilled over into his interactions with other people, and he approached everyone he encountered with a sincere and spirited joy befitting of an admiring friend. Seeing a smile from another meant so much to Harold.

Dr. Nelson and his wife Penny were married for 58 years, and – especially during his retirement – they were rarely seen apart unless you happened to run into Harold at various stores around town, checklist written by Penny in his hand, dutifully shopping for items to bring back home for her approval.

For the last 50 years, Harold and Penny lived in the same house, and they raised their two children in a home filled with humor, a tolerance for youthful indiscretions, openness and an abiding and affectionate love offered without conditions.

When giving the rationale for his retirement in 2002, Dr. Nelson often cited his chagrin that the practice of medicine had digressed into a series of daily administrative meetings interrupted increasingly less by limited opportunities to care for patients.

While somewhat true, his decision to stop working was principally driven by the fact that both of his children were then married, and he hoped to assume the role of grandfather soon. His wish was fulfilled by 2004 when he welcomed the first of his four grandchildren into the world.

Of all the roles and responsibilities Harold carried out during his life, nothing meant more to him than being ‘Big Daddy’ to Phillip, Helen, Jackson and Hollis. He transitioned seamlessly from a tireless playmate in their youth to a trusted and accepting friend enthusiastically listening to and encouraging them throughout high school and college.

Dr. Nelson lived his life with a level of honesty, vulnerability and courage which allowed him to confidently say that he had no regrets. However, he worried that he was unable to communicate with Phillip, Helen, Jackson and Hollis the level of gratitude he owed them for filling his heart so deeply with joy, pride and warmth.

His four grandchildren would characterize that thought as one of the few miscalculations their Big Daddy ever made. Through his actions, Dr. Nelson gave his grandchildren invaluable life lessons, ensuring that they will continue to make him proud as they experience deep laughter and countless successes in the decades to come; a fitting tribute to a wonderful grandfather.

Because Dr. Nelson’s son and daughter lived out of town as adults, nothing made him happier than keeping up with their childhood friends who made Augusta their home. He was delighted by those old friends’ achievements, absolutely adored their children and, when they experienced grief, he felt a deep sadness for them.

A man of enduring faith, Harold shared his strong beliefs quietly through his actions. Most of those revolved around the reality that any sort of personal satisfaction is most easily attained by showing care for others. He displayed a loving kindness to every person he encountered, and he did it for two reasons. One, there is a good chance that you will brighten a person’s day with a friendly interaction. Two, such caring is guaranteed to make you feel better regardless of the other’s response. For a man who always appreciated a good deal, he found the possibility of realizing these two outcomes with a single action too valuable to turn down and, in keeping, he showed appreciation to every person he ever met.

When he did preach, Dr. Nelson was a strict devotee to more practical lessons such as: “horseplay and horsepower don’t mix” or extolling the virtues and importance of wearing sunscreen. Although both in their 50s, his children remained amazed that their father never lost his zeal for checking with them on a sunny day to make sure they were wearing and reapplying as needed.

If he read that preceding sentence, Dr. Nelson would want to make sure we pointed out his warning that “Overcast days can sneak up on you and burn you just as badly as sunny ones. You still need to make sure you’re wearing sunscreen on a cloudy day.”

Dr. Nelson believed deeply in mankind’s better angels. He never raised his voice in anger at another person, even when they deserved it. Instead, on such occasions, he chose to believe that he simply encountered a good person having a bad day, and he genuinely hoped they would find a source of comfort to lift their spirits as the day wore on.

Harold did not, however, offer himself the same gracious tolerance. His wife and children marveled at how tough he could be on himself. While there are too many examples to recount all, some of these instances occurred whenever he hit an errant golf shot, overcooked a piece of meat on the grill, or returned home from shopping to realize he had forgotten to purchase an important item – necessitating a return trip to the store in worsening traffic. He really couldn’t forgive such seemingly minor offenses and the verbal lashings he gave himself were family legend.

Although Dr. Nelson could be tough on himself, nothing drew his ire as much as an inanimate object that refused to bend to his will. God help the toolbox lid that wouldn’t close, a TV remote that failed to follow his instructions, an uncooperative iPhone, or even a dallop of jelly that jumped off the biscuit between his plate and his mouth. His grandchildren always enjoyed the new and creative ways Harold had in using – and stringing together creative combinations of - dirty words during such times.

Although he spent his career practicing Medicine, Dr. Nelson believed strongly that a life well lived is more a work of art than science; and he devoted each day to mastering its abstractions through kindness, friendship and a genuine concern for the wellbeing of others.

Simply put, whether you were a family member, a lifelong acquaintance, or merely a stranger in the aisle of a grocery store on a random Tuesday, Dr. Nelson always greeted you with a smile, a kind word, and the enthusiasm of a close friend excited to hear an update on how you were doing.

If you were ever grateful for him uplifting your day during such an exchange, rest assured that the encounter brightened his day even more. If you ever gave him good news about yourself or a loved one, he was equally happy – if not more so - for you than you were for yourself. If you ever shared concern with him, he felt a deep longing for your worried mind to find peace.

During his life, the greatest compliment that Harold could give regarding a colleague was a simple: “He is a good man.” This short acknowledgement said a great deal about the person in question: they were a dedicated and hard working professional, a devoted family man, a caring friend, and a courteous gentleman to all they met.

Most will remember Harold the same way, and many will also add “He was a nice man.” While simple in its phrasing, this statement is accurate and it says so much about the remarkable man we all loved so deeply and will miss so greatly. It certainly substantiates the idea that the little boy who grew up dreaming in the vegetable fields of Macon County could look back confidently at age 82 and say that he, in fact, achieved a life well lived.

Dr. Nelson was so proud of Dr. Ben Kay and the years of thoughtful care he received from Ben and the wonderful team at Augusta Urology Associates. Although disappointed with his Leukemia diagnosis last January, he viewed it as a great gift that he formed strong relationships with the skilled and caring professionals at Augusta University’s Georgia Cancer Center during his biweekly visits. Finally, in his waning days, he was deeply appreciative for the humor, warmth and patience shown to him by the great healthcare teams on the 5th and 9th floors of Piedmont Augusta Hospital.

Should you wish to pay tribute to Harold, his family suggests you do all of the following today: put in a hard day of work, grin and say a kind word to a stranger, tell a friend that you appreciate them, greet your spouse or partner with a caring kiss, and call your children and/or grandchildren to tell them how boundlessly proud you are of them.

This evening, when done with these productive and loving gestures, raise a cold beer and recite Harold’s favorite toast: “God Bless Joseph Schlitz!” As you take your first sip, it would make Dr. Nelson so happy if you think of him and smile.

It would be quite appropriate if you wear sunscreen while you do all of this….. even if it is an overcast day.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests that you donate to the Friends of Frances Foundation at: www.friendsoffrances.org

Dr. Nelson always said of Frances, “That little girl is just darling!”

There will be no funeral, but the family asks that friends and well wishers join them from 4:00 to 6:30pm on Sunday, September 14th at the French Market Grille at Surrey Center, 425 Highland Avenue in Augusta. There will be a remembrance given by his children around 5:30, and casual dress is requested.

Harold’s family wishes love upon all of those who grieve with us.