Page created by: Lori Nelson

John Sherwood Nelson (Jack) was born August 1, 1929 in Mountain View, California to Martin Nelson and Olga (Johnson) Nelson. He grew up in Menlo Park where his father owned The Barn Woodshop at the Allied Arts Guild.
He graduated from Sequoia High School in Redwood City in 1947. He took up the sport of boxing in high school, and received many accolades and trophies. He continued his boxing career while attending San Jose State, winning all-college honors, and competing for the school in the 1948 Olympic regional boxing trials. He then joined the Navy and while in the service won the West Coast Fleet boxing title in the heavyweight division. “Swede” Nelson also fought to the final round of Olympic regional trials in 1952. He worked as a police officer in Santa Cruz for a few years, and made local fame as the fighting policeman.
He married Lorna May Strickland in 1960 in Monterey. She was also a graduate of Sequoia High School. Their daughter Lori was born in 1961.
He began working for the Palo Alto Police Department in 1956 and retired as a sergeant in 1983. While employed with the Palo Alto PD, he returned to San Jose State, receiving a bachelor’s degree in Criminal Justice Administration in 1973. After retirement he spent many enjoyable days watching horse races at Bay Meadows, Golden Gate Fields, and all the local County Fairs.
He was diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease in 1998. Lorna cared for him at home as the disease slowly progressed, until her death in 2013. He lived in Alameda for the last 6 years of his life, at Golden Age Bayside where he received wonderful care. He passed peacefully on June 21 (Father’s Day), 2020.
His parents, brother Martin and wife Lorna predeceased him. Survived by daughter Lori and her husband, Phil Sandri of Alameda.