William "Rae" Nelson

On Friday, August 14th, 2020, William Rae Nelson of Weslaco, Texas (formerly of Prince Albert, Saskatchewan) passed away peacefully at the age of 88 in the Care Center at John Knox Village, in Weslaco, Texas where he lived with his late wife, Shirley Arlene Nelson.

Rae leaves a son, Sheldon (Colleen) of Winnipeg, MB, a daughter Nicole of Vancouver, BC, two step-daughters, Shauna (Kevin) of Winnipeg, MB and Renee of Burlington, ON; six grandchildren Sacha, Chloe, Mackenzie, James, Thomas and Ella, and three step-grandchildren Taylor, Nicolas and Ashley. Rae was born in Prince Albert, SK on July 6, 1932. He was predeceased by a son, Christian William Nelson, his Father, also named Christian William Nelson and his Mother, Alexandria Ellen Nelson.

Rae was truly, a one of a kind person. Throughout his life, he never met a challenge that he could not overcome through hard work and perseverance. He dedicated his life to his work and family and if it meant he’d have to work 7 days a week, 24 hours a day to provide for his family or fulfill an obligation, Rae would work all of that, and some! He left a distinct impression on those he met as he was the type of person that would go to great lengths for people; he had a good heart. He was a true entrepreneur with a great sense of vision and a wonderful sense of humour. Whether it was driving up and down the Old Alaska Highway in the 70”s distributing products to small businesses serving remote communities and travellers, or as a pioneer in the Satellite Television Industry, or designing and developing new subdivisions and building homes in Hidalgo County Texas over the past 25 years, Rae met every challenge and made life-long friendships along the way. Rae always had a great story and smile for friends and family.

He moved from Canada to Weslaco, Texas in the late 80’s where he joined his soon to be wife, Arlene. Rae thoroughly enjoyed his life with Arlene. They were a great pair, seldom apart. He missed her greatly after her passing in November of 2019. Rae and Arlene would take long summer road trips from Weslaco to Winnipeg, where they often spent a month or two visiting with family and friends in the area. On other occasions, they would be visited by their children and grandchildren in Texas. Rae had a special love for his children, and grandchildren -a love and appreciation that will not be forgotten by us. He was a great Dad and we will miss him every day, but despite our loss, we’re happy he’s with Arlene again.

We would like to extend our special thanks to the staff of John Knox Village and McCaleb Funeral Homes for their wonderful care and kindness. Due to the current circumstances a funeral service will not take place in Weslaco. A joint service for both Rae and Arlene will be planned for a later date in Manitoba, Canada.