[Geysers] Obituary--Ranger Gary Nelson (Stephens)

[Lynn Stephens]

With the end of my volunteer tax season, I'm finally catching up on some reading, including the NPS "Daily Reports."  Those of us who spent summers at Old Faithful got to know Gary.  He assisted me several times with incidents in geyser basins.  On duty I found he was a consumate professional; off duty he had a wry sense of humor.  He will be missed.  This items appeared in the NPS "Morning Reports" on Wednesday, April 11. Yellowstone National Park (ID,MT,WY)
Passing Of Ranger Gary 
Nelson

Gary Nelson, a long-time Yellowstone law enforcement ranger, passed away 
unexpectedly on April 4th. Gary suffered a fatal heart attack while stopped 
along the West Entrance Road in the park last Wednesday morning. He was just 56 
years old. 

Gary was born in Salem, Oregon, in 1955 and graduated from Oregon State 
University.  Gary's love of photography and elk drew him to Yellowstone in the 
late 1970's, and he began working at the Hamilton Stores in 1979 to "support his 
photography habit" according to his brother Rick Nelson. 

Gary began his NPS Yellowstone career in 1982 as a seasonal laborer.   
Between 1982 and 2012, he worked as a laborer, maintenance worker, general park 
ranger, and dispatcher, and in 1994 became a law enforcement ranger.  Gary only 
left Yellowstone one time in his 30 year career, which was when he took a 
temporary position as a lead forestry technician at the Natchez Trace in 1991 
for three months. 

Gary worked in many park locations through the years, but spent significant 
amounts of time in the Grant Village, Old Faithful and Madison areas of the 
park.  Gary was a fixture in Yellowstone and known for his love of underwater 
diving, his stories about warm trips to tropical dive locations in the middle of 
the long Yellowstone interior winters, his hunting escapades along the Grassy 
Lake Road, his expertise with servicing weapons for park staff, and his 
extensive knowledge and history of Yellowstone. 

Gary is survived by his brother, Rick Nelson, and Rick's wife Sue, by his 
many friends and "Yellowstone Family," by his sister Susan Nelson, and by his 
constant companion - his dog "Cooper."

A celebration and remembrance of Gary's life and influence on Yellowstone 
will be held on Saturday April 14th at 10 a.m. in the Madison Amphitheater.  A 
traditional "Ranger Potluck" luncheon will follow the remembrance at the Old 
Faithful Visitor Education Center. 

In lieu of flowers, Rick Nelson requests that donations be made to the 
Yellowstone Park Foundation (222 East Main St., Suite 301, Bozeman, MT  59715 or 
www.ypf.org) in Gary's honor to continue their 
unwavering support of rangers' efforts to protect Yellowstone.     

Condolences can be sent to Rick Nelson and his family at 55010 Lazy River 
West, Sun River, OR  97707. 
[Submitted by Bonnie Schwartz, Deputy Chief 
Ranger] 
  		 	   		  
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