Anthony Lawrence Nelson Jr.
January 6, 1965 - July 19, 2019
Anthony Lawrence Nelson, Jr. passed peacefully into his eternal reward surrounded by his loving family and close friends on July 19, 2019. He was born January 6, 1965 in Garden Grove, CA. He attended Mater Dei High School in Santa Ana, CA and graduated from Long Beach State University. Tony was president of a local Junior Achievement society in high school and while working on a club project he met the love of his life, Jennifer Kalasky. They had a deep and strong relationship that was centered on family, food and fun.
He is survived by his wife, Jenny; son, Jacob; daughter, AnnMarie; mother, Marie Nelson; sisters, Lori Gay (Chris), Cheryl Ryan (Joe), Tricia Schierer (James); and many nieces and nephews. He was preceded in death by his father, Anthony Nelson, in 2015.
Family was at the center of Tony’s life. He adored his wife Jenny and his children and was immensely proud of them and their accomplishments. He loved spending time with his parents, sisters and their families and was always the center of entertainment. He was ready, willing and able to fire up his grill or pizza oven to host large groups of friends and family at his home trying out new and elaborate recipes.
Tony was a renaissance man and had many passions. He and his wife were co-founders of Spectrum Home Services that helped keep retirees in their homes. Tony was involved in local government issues and was an advocate of the people working as a watchdog against government agencies. Mostly recently he worked for Scheels in the Hunting and Fishing Department where he had many friends and excelled in sales. He was an aide to the California House of Representatives where he helped enact the 1990 California Proposition 132 which banned gill net fishing off the coast of California to protect seals and other wildlife and was key in instituting a helmet laws in California.
One of his other passions was food. He had an exceptional palate and innate sense of recipe design. This melded well into one of his other loves; the great outdoors. He was an avid hunter and fisherman and is well known in Utah for his knowledge of the wild areas of Utah. He designed and marketed his Crawdad Hotel. He published fishing and hunting guides and wrote guest columns for Field and Stream.
Tony did nothing halfway. He was all-in whether it was his family, friends or poking fun at someone. He loved to tease and play practical jokes on people. He was a fervent gardener and kept a remarkable garden at home.
Tony was an exceptional man who was charismatic and liked by all who came in contact with him. He was generous in is time, money and love and will be greatly missed by all of us.
A Funeral Mass will be celebrated Friday, July 26, 2019 at 11:00 AM at Saint John the Baptist Catholic Church, 300 East 11800 South.
In Loving Memory
Trish we are so sorry for the immense loss your family has had to endure. You are all in our prayers. We love you. The Veysey Family
Dear family, There are no words to say goodbye. Love you so much. Your family from The Netherlands ����
So sorry to hear that my friend and mentor, Tony, has passed. He was taken way too soon and I will miss him. The world lost a great man. I will always have fond memories of the time we spent together growing my franchise business, Spectrum Home Services. My sincere condolences to the Nelson family.
This is shocking news. I haven’t seen Tony for a long time buts he’s the kind of guy you never forget and aspire to be more like. Jenny, I will be praying for you and your family. Love Will and Joyce
My deepest condolences to Tony’s family. I am sorry to hear of his passing. He was always a fun guy. I will never forget our alter boy shenanigans when we may have snook a few sips of wine from the chalice.
Our condelences and prayers to the family and friends of Tony. May God embrace you and family during this difficult time. Jim & Karen Nelson
Our deepest condolences to Toni's family. We are quite shocked. Please feel all embraced. Our hearts are with yours. Elke and Werner
My heartfelt condolences Jenny. I remember when you and Tony started dating, you were an amazing couple. Sending you love and hugs ❤️��❤️ Suzanne
I was so sorry to ready of Tony's death. Marie, I know how it feels losing a child and I will be praying for you and the whole family. One step at a time, my dear friend. May Christ comfort you in your time of grief.
Dear Jenny and family, We are so sad to hear of Tony’s passing. He was the best! As head of the franchise he was so kind, compassionate and truly a leader. Oh my, was he ever sharp-witted! We have missed y’all very much since transfer of ownership because we missed you as friends more than as the business’s owners. In recent years we’ve enjoyed his enthusiasm with all his wonderful cooking he shared on Facebook. He sure was proud of all of you, and he loved his dog n hunting. I know he will watch over you and surround you with his light. God bless. Love, Frank and Melissa
Jenny and family, I am so sorry for your loss, my heart goes out to you and your family. Tony was a great man and I enjoyed spending time at work with him over the past years, Scheels will not be the same without his smiling face!
I'm so sorry to hear of the passing of Tony. I went to Blessed Sacrament with him and he was always witty, funny and pleasant to around. I also enjoyed his facebook post of his garden and all the wonderful food entrees that he prepared. He will be missed. My prayers for the family during this difficult time. Psalm 23
Dear Nelson Clan, My heart and my family's heart goes out to all of you. The "Tone Babes" was one of a kind. He will be sorely missed by many. A fun-loving great spirt. It was my pleasure to have him as my friend. God's peace to all of you.
Our sincerest and most heartfelt condolences. May the beautiful memories of Tony keep you strong and give you peace during this difficult time. Our prayers and thoughts are with you all. God Bless. Mara Bruno, Roberto and Susanna
I only knew Tony for six months. We worked together at Scheels. I immediately clicked with him the first day. I felt like I had known him for years. The only thing bigger than his work ethic was his HEART. I will miss you Tony. One last time “your mama”
In Loving Memory
