Sad news regarding Doug Nelson

Posted by Nancy Feraco on

It is with heavy hearts that we let you know that Doug Nelson passed away last Wednesday. On January 23, 2019, Doug Nelson became a part of our lives.  The longtime owner/operator of Nelson’s Candy passed the candymaker torch to Nancy, Phillip, and Mark, but true to character, he did not ride off into retirement.  Doug served as a teacher, confidant, and cheerleader for the new group of candymakers at Nelson’s.  Our love and admiration for Doug grew daily as we all experienced his kindness, patience, dedication, and sense of humor firsthand.  More than a mentor, he was a loyal and loving friend. Doug always had a story, a joke, or a song to share and was able to find the sun on even the rainiest of days. He lit up the candy kitchen with energy and laughter the second he arrived.

 Whether teaching us to make a new item, helping us save a lost batch of fudge, or keeping everyone loose with a story from the long and eventful life that he led, Doug’s knowledge and patience was only exceeded by his genuine willingness to help.  He left his mark on Nelson’s Candy and on each of us who worked with him.  He is/was a friend, a mentor, a candymaker sensei, a brother from another mother, a surrogate grandfather and most importantly, a member of the family.

Doug left us on Wednesday July 7th and we suspect he is currently making fudge and peanut brittle (and music!) in heaven.  His candy is truly out of this world for certain.   In addition to his family, Doug loved his craft, classic cars, blues music, and helping people in no specific order.  He loved to be here when there was a show going on, and especially enjoyed working with the young candy making apprentices we brought on board at Nelsons. 

 Please forgive us for not sharing the news sooner, but Doug’s family respectfully requested we hold off doing so until they had put together his obituary and worked out some details. They knew the popular man with a heart of pure gold would be mourned by hundreds of friends and needed a bit of time and space before being inundated with calls and messages. Doug’s passing leaves a large hole in our hearts and in the hearts of many others in our community. There is an old saying, “Don’t be sad that it is over, be grateful that it happened”, and with that in mind, although we will miss him terribly here at Nelson’s, we are genuinely grateful that we were able to share time with Doug and become part of his Nelson’s family.  “What would Doug do?” is a constant mantra here at Nelson’s Candy, and that won’t be changing any time soon. 

Please use the first link below to view his obituary. In following Doug’s wishes there will be no wake or funeral, and please note that the Celebration of Life scheduled later this month is for family only. If there are any cards or messages you would like to convey to the family, feel free to drop these off at the shop and we’ll be sure to pass them along.

The second link is for an interview conducted by Hudson Community Television where he talks about his earlier years perfecting the art of candy making and may also be of interest to many of you.

https://www.smith-heald.com/obituaries/Douglas-W-Nelson?obId=21662285#/celebrationWall

https://reflect-hudsonctv.cablecast.tv/vod/9572-01-Nelsons-Candy-Interview-Full-Actual-Final-v1/vod.mp4