Ronald Alen Nelson

Ronald Alen Nelson passed away October 27, 2026, at Marigold Gardens Long Term Care Facility in Burnaby, British Columbia. He left this world peacefully, with his son, Patrick, by his side.

Ron was born in Detroit, Michigan to Mary Nelson (née Bonik) and Wilfred (Tex) Nelson on April 30, 1942. He was raised in Washington State and after graduating high school attended the University of Puget Sound. He immigrated to Canada and studied law briefly at UBC before changing his focus to education. He took a job teaching at Vernon Secondary School after graduation. In Vernon, he quickly became a respected teacher; his Law 11 course was especially popular. It was at VSS he met Catherine Ann Grant. They married in 1970 and remained together and deeply in love until her passing in 2025.

In 1977 Ron and Cathy relocated to Haida Gwaii where he started his career as a writer. His literary style of outdoor writing won him many fans. His articles were published widely, including in Gray’s Sporting Journal, Reader’s Digest, The Vancouver Sun, and BC Outdoors. He was “Outdoor Columnist” for the CBC Program Morningside and his 1984 book “And When You Go Fishing…” was extremely well reviewed. He would work as a full-time writer until his retirement.

No words describing Ron’s love of fishing can be anything but a gross understatement. He was fascinated with every aspect of the sport from esoteric retrieves, to fly patterns, to the details of salmon’s evolutionary biology. He remembered every lake he ever fished, and no form of fishing or fish escaped his pursuit. While his preferred method was the fly, he was also happy to spin cast a worm or lure if the occasion warranted. His passion was infectious, and he was a willing teacher. There is many a fisher who can trace their introduction to and love of fly fishing to Ron’s tutelage.

Ron maintained strong friendships throughout his life and deeply valued those connections, some of which extended as far back as his childhood. He was a loving father to his son Patrick Wilfred Nelson, born in 1985. He taught his son a love for the outdoors on their many fishing and camping trips. Beyond the outdoors, Ron modelled an active and participatory fatherhood and was always available and excited to play games and otherwise spend time with his son. Ron was a loving grandfather to Winter Rose Nelson, born in 2015 to Patrick and Maureen Nelson.

Ron lived an extraordinary life. His days were filled with the pursuit of fish and the love of friends and family. He found happiness in all that he did and did not waste any time on those things that didn't matter. He was a true gourmet, cooking elaborate meals and savouring good food up to the end of his life. Despite his many hardships such as the polio and subsequent post-polio syndrome which affected his mobility, Ron was never one to complain. He was always smiling and making the best of the hardest situations. All his friends and family are sad that he is no longer with us, but we are all so very grateful to have had him as part of our lives.