Obituary for Eric R. Nielsen
Eric R. Nielsen, 73, of Lawrence, KS passed away on October 6, 2017. Memorial services will be held on October 11, 2017 at 6:30 PM at Cedar Crest Memorial Chapel, 32665 Lexington Ave., De Soto, KS. Visitation one hour prior to services at the Chapel. Memorial donations may be made to American Red Cross or Hurricane Relief.
Eric's family moved to De Soto in 1951, in time for the big Kaw River flood. He attended De Soto schools until gradating in 1962. Eric immediately enlisted in the U.S. Air Force and served 4 years, mostly at Forbes AFB in Topeka, KS, as a ground equipment mechanic. Upon discharge from the service, he got a job on a truck dock in Kansas City and started saving for college.
On July 4, 1966 Eric started dating Becky Henry (Rebecca). She helped him enroll in KU, where they both attended and continued dating. He graduated in 1970 with a Business degree. They got married in 1971. Eric got a job with the Federal Government and worked as a Special Agent (criminal investigations) in Kansas City for 25 years.
Eric and Rebecca have one daughter, Katie, who is married to Matt and they have two children, Claire and Will. Eric got the pleasure to babysit the grandchildren with Rebecca for many years. He considered it one of greatest joys of his life. He also enjoyed living in university town with many diverse activities and events.
He enjoyed a fair amount of travel over the years. He sailed the Bay of Biscay in 1985 with three other men on a 48-foot catamaran from the Isle of Wight to La Coruna, Spain. He then toured Europe with his wife and daughter for a couple of weeks. In 2000 they stayed with the family of their foreign exchange student in Rome. They also spent a couple weeks with friends just outside of Bangkok. He was also involved in ballroom/Latin dancing for many years. Eric also enjoyed riding his 1985 Honda motorcycle.
He was preceded in death by: dad Leonard Nielsen and step-dad Jesse Blaine. Survived by his wife Rebecca Nielsen; daughter Katie Burnham and son-in-law Matt Burnham; grandchildren: Claire and Will Burnham; mother Helen Blaine; brothers: Randall and Mark Blaine; step-mother Marian Nielsen; sisters: Sonya Kerschen, Yvonne Berard, and Melanie Becker
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Eric's family moved to De Soto in 1951, in time for the big Kaw River flood. He attended De Soto schools until gradating in 1962. Eric immediately enlisted in the U.S. Air Force and served 4 years, mostly at Forbes AFB in Topeka, KS, as a ground equipment mechanic. Upon discharge from the service, he got a job on a truck dock in Kansas City and started saving for college.
On July 4, 1966 Eric started dating Becky Henry (Rebecca). She helped him enroll in KU, where they both attended and continued dating. He graduated in 1970 with a Business degree. They got married in 1971. Eric got a job with the Federal Government and worked as a Special Agent (criminal investigations) in Kansas City for 25 years.
Eric and Rebecca have one daughter, Katie, who is married to Matt and they have two children, Claire and Will. Eric got the pleasure to babysit the grandchildren with Rebecca for many years. He considered it one of greatest joys of his life. He also enjoyed living in university town with many diverse activities and events.
He enjoyed a fair amount of travel over the years. He sailed the Bay of Biscay in 1985 with three other men on a 48-foot catamaran from the Isle of Wight to La Coruna, Spain. He then toured Europe with his wife and daughter for a couple of weeks. In 2000 they stayed with the family of their foreign exchange student in Rome. They also spent a couple weeks with friends just outside of Bangkok. He was also involved in ballroom/Latin dancing for many years. Eric also enjoyed riding his 1985 Honda motorcycle.
He was preceded in death by: dad Leonard Nielsen and step-dad Jesse Blaine. Survived by his wife Rebecca Nielsen; daughter Katie Burnham and son-in-law Matt Burnham; grandchildren: Claire and Will Burnham; mother Helen Blaine; brothers: Randall and Mark Blaine; step-mother Marian Nielsen; sisters: Sonya Kerschen, Yvonne Berard, and Melanie Becker
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Previous Events
Visitation
Wednesday
11
Oct
5:30 PM
- 6:30 PM
Cedar Crest Memorial Chapel
32665 Lexington Avenue
De Soto, KS 66018
Memorial Service
Wednesday
11
Oct
6:30 PM
Cedar Crest Memorial Chapel
32665 Lexington Avenue
De Soto, KS 66018
Memorial Contribution
American Red Cross
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