Obituary of Alan Edward Nelson

Alan Edward Nelson (a.k.a. “Sarge”) left us on Friday the 28th of January 2022. Alan passed peacefully in his hospital bed looking into our mother’s eyes with his two daughters present as well. Alan was born on March 10, 1936, in Provost, Alberta. He was the 3rd child of five to Gus and Barbara Nelson (nee Williams). He is survived by his wife Ruth (nee Tunney), three children: Janice Benoit (Maurice Benoit and granddaughter Monique-predeceased), Tracy McHale (Mike McHale and grandsons Shaun, Patrick and Ryan) and Brent (Nathalie Boudreault and grandsons Marc-Antoine Bansept and Edward Nelson). He is also survived by his two sisters Joan Jones and Gail Smith and many nieces and nephews. Alan was predeceased by his parents, two brothers (Leonard and Donald) and granddaughter Monique Benoit. Alan married Ruth Tunney on April 2, 1958. They lived in Edmonton for a short period of time where their oldest daughter Janice was born. They then moved back to the farm south of Edgerton to work with his dad. He worked the farm in the summer and then moved for short winter stints to Red Deer to work in the oilfields. Their second and third children Tracy and Brent were born during this period. In 1964 Alan bought the Mahoney Farm and moved the family there in short order. Alan was a farmer by profession and a father. He was a quiet man but when he spoke, we knew it was time to listen. His words were few but full of meaning. He was also a great friend to many people. He treated everyone as equal and everyone equally. In his later years, after selling the farm he enjoyed driving truck, moving oil rigs, then he did some dispatching and bought a pilot truck to do oversized load escort work with various companies. Alan was an avid curler and enjoyed playing in many bonspiels with Fred Burton, Fred Leskow, Barry Marshal, Larry Snyder and many others. He also played hockey with the Edgerton Has-beens. Alan was also a bit of a cowboy. We can all recall the afternoons spent with the McBride brothers (and maybe a beer or two!) driving chariots or horse racing. He enjoyed flying and airplanes. We often visited nearby Airshows in the summer. He got his pilot’s license in the mid 1970s and immediately bought a share in a brand-new 1974 Cessna 172 Shyhawk (C-GAMP); which he later bought outright from co-owner Harold Tangen. The family would like to thank the nurses and staff at the Wainwright Continuing Care Facility for the wonderful care and attention given to Alan. As well, a special thank you to his friend Dwayne McMann for sitting with him in the final days, and nights, when his family couldn’t be there. Thank you all so much. Dad, fly free on this new journey, you will be greatly missed. Love you Donations can be made to the charity organization of your choice.