In Memoriam : Christopher Nelson

I used to encounter Christopher when I taught a class for the Adult School at the Wittman Center site. I retired about 2 1/2 years ago, but continue to teach a voluntary reading group two afternoons a week, so I had contact with Christopher usually at those moments of coming and going to the classroom. One thing I noticed about him was that he was easy to talk to whenever there was a maintenance problem to solve, or simply to share a moment of conversation. He showed kindness in his response to me and to the students I taught. That simple quality is something highly valued in this life, and I appreciate very much the kind of man he was. He always seemed to patiently get the job done with a sense of quality in his tasks, while treating the people around him with the simple respect that all humans deserve. To me that amounts to living a successful life -- a life where you leave the world a better place. Both Christopher and you, his family, remain in my thoughts and prayers. May you all find peace in the life of this most decent man. While our contact was fleeting, I can say that he made life a little better for me and my students in his own humble way. Sincerely, Steve Surowiec