Ray Nielson

RAY PACK NIELSON June 14, 1931 to January 14, 2011

Our loving husband, father, grandfather, great-grandfather, and friend, Ray Pack Nielson passed away January 14, 2011 in Salt Lake City, Utah. Ray was born June 14, 1931 in Roosevelt, Utah to Reuben Lamont and Florence Pack Nielson. Married Sharon Lynn Stewart on September 6, 1957 in the Salt Lake LDS Temple.

Ray exemplified honesty, faith, kindness and service. He was always the first to arrive to help and the last to leave. He made sure everyone around him was taken care of before he considered his own needs. After graduating from Roosevelt high School, earning the nickname 'ACE' in basketball, and excelling on football, Ray went on to serve an LDS mission in Texas-Louisiana staying true to his faith his entire life, enduring to the end. He honorably served in the U.S. Army, then graduated from BYU in finance and worked as a Credit Manager for Shell and Zions. He served 13 years at the Salt Lake Temple. Ray loved taking his children and grand-children to the family ranch where he taught them how to shoot and ride motorcycles, sometimes at the same time, riding ATVs and swimming in the lake.

Ray is survived by his wife Sharon, and 6 children, Rayanne, Allen (Molly), Robert (Denise), Shannon (Lynch), Dave, Laura (Christensen), 15 grandchildren, 3 great-grandchildren, and his brother Boyd (Carol).

Funeral services will be held on Saturday January 22, 2011 11:00am at the Olympus First Ward, 4100 South Camille Drive (2500 East), where friends may visit with the family on Friday evening from 6:00pm to 8:00pm and also on Saturday morning from 9:30am to 10:40am prior to services. Interment to follow at 1:30pm in the Provo City Cemetery. In lieu of flowers the family suggests contributions be made to the LDS Church missionary fund at your local ward clerk's office in Rays name.

The Family is especially grateful to Josh and the staff at Aspen Ridge West for their loving, tender and expert care in Ray's last days.