George Albin Nelson III ’60

George Nelson, a man remembered for his sharp mind, sharp dress and love for his family, died suddenly in New York on May 29, 2018. He was 72 years old.
 
Born on July 6, 1945, Mr. Nelson, known familiarly as Terry (for Tertius) as a young man to differentiate him from his father, grew up in Wilton, Connecticut, attending New Canaan Country School in his earlier years, before enrolling at St. Paul’s School in the fall of 1959.
 
After graduating from St. Paul’s, Mr. Nelson attended the Atlantic College at St. Donat’s Castle in Wales prior to attending Columbia University in New York. There he received a Bachelor’s Degree in Modern European History, and Master’s Degrees in History, International Relations and Business.
 
Mr. Nelson remained in New York City, working at the Economic Capital Corporation, before segueing into a career as a real estate broker in partnership with his wife Bettina. With his trustworthy nature and armed with a prodigious knowledge of the neighborhoods throughout New York City, Mr. Nelson was a natural to become a success in his newfound career. With his analyst’s mind, unflappable demeanor, poker face and ability to calculate numbers and percentages off the top of his head, he was a crackerjack negotiator.
 
Those who knew him best remember him as a man of great humor, wit and esoteric knowledge.
 
“George will be remembered for, among other things, an astoundingly brilliant mind,” said a friend of Mr. Nelson’s. “As his sister said in her remarks at his memorial service, ‘We didn’t need Google. We had George.”
 
Mr. Nelson was an unabashed animal lover. He was a volunteer for many years at the Bronx Zoo, working at the Field Veterinary Program, assisting the veterinarians in the animal hospital as well as those going out into the field and leading school groups around the zoo. He had his dog trained as a therapy dog and he and his wife, took him weekly to visit the children in the pediatric psychiatric unit at Mount Sinai hospital.
 
He enjoyed bridge, backgammon, tennis, farm team baseball games and most especially adventuresome traveling and scuba diving. He, Bettina and their son, Alex, traveled to Tobago to dive the underwater hanging gardens; Belize, where they swam with dolphins in the open water; Costa Rica with amazing night diving, erupting volcanos and cave exploring; Guatemala for Tikal and the chance to climb the Mayan ruins; and the Florida Keys for simple, relaxing, easy diving.
 
Above all, he was a family man. “George moved in sync with his wife, Bettina,” his close friend, David Parshall said. “They were inseparable and did everything together -- working and playing.” He was devoted to his son, Alex, with whom he loved discussing the news of the world and politics of the day, both of them being voracious readers and news junkies. But he was truly happiest when he was out on an long, lazy afternoon walk in Central Park with his family, and his dog, Clarence.
 
He is survived by his wife of 31 years, Bettina; his son and daughter-in-law, Alexander and Winnie; his grandson, Jack; and his brother and sister, Michael and Alix.
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