Thursday, March 8, 2007 Older Editions

Helen Walsh Nelson

Helen Walsh Nelson, 84, of Newington, Conn., died suddenly Sunday afternoon, March 4, in New Britain, Conn.

Mrs. Nelson provided 40 years of service and leadership to Newington schools as a classroom teacher and elected official.

Born and raised in Andover, she was valedictorian of her high school class. After graduating from Rivier College, Nashua, N.H., she moved to Hartford, tutoring at the Institute of Living and later teaching third grade in Rocky Hill.

She was also very active in Hartford's theatre community with lead roles at the Wadsworth Athenaeum's Avery Theatre, with the Mark Twain Masquers.

In 1951, she married Nels Nelson, and had four children.

Mrs. Nelson was PTA president and was active in Scouting as a Cub Scout and Brownie leader.

As her children grew older, she worked as a Newington substitute teacher. She taught at the Newington Cooperative Nursery School from 1963 to 1967.

Accepting a full-time post at Newington's Ruth Chaffee School in 1967 she taught kindergarten for 24 years, seeing nearly 1,000 youngsters through their first year of school. While at Chaffee she also served as president of the Newington Teachers Association.

Upon her retirement in 1989 she was elected to the first of seven consecutive terms on Newington's board of education.

Mrs. Nelson also served on many state level organizations including the Connecticut Association of Boards of Education and Capitol Region Education Council, providing direction on a myriad of legislative and governance functions. Upon retiring from the board in 2003, the group named its meeting room in her honor. She later returned to the board, after her husband's death, where she was still serving up to this time.

Also near the end of her career, she was honored by the Connecticut Association of Boards of Education (2001), Newington Chamber of Commerce (2002), and the Republican Town Committee (2003).

She was an active member of St. Mary's Church, Newington.

Mrs. Nelson enjoyed more than 40 summers at her seaside cottage at Salisbury Beach, sharing the sun and sand with her extended family.

Family members include her children, David Nelson and his wife, Kay O'Neil, of Andover, Melanie Stoddard and her husband, Kent, of Newington, Conn., Matthew Nelson and his wife, Karen, also of Newington, and Michael Nelson and Rose Morrow of North Branford, Conn.; nine grandchildren; her brother, George Walsh and his wife, Martha, of Andover; and her sister, Sally Logan,of Needham; and many nieces and nephews.

She was pre-deceased by two sisters, Kay Zimmerman and Maribeth Fessenden.

Calling hours were scheduled for 3 to 8 p.m. Wednesday at Newington Memorial Funeral Home, 20 Bonair Ave., Newington.

Funeral services will be held at 9 a.m. today, Thursday, March 8 from the funeral home, followed by a Mass of Christian Burial at 10 a.m. at St. Mary's Church.

Interment will be in West Meadow Cemetery, Newington.

Memorial donations may be made to Newington Education Foundation, PO Box 310104, Newington, CT 06131-0104.