Husband of Rockwall Helping Hands, City Council member Margo Nielsen, passes away

By J.J. Smith. The husband of Rockwall County Helping  Hands executive director and Rockwall City Council member Margo Nielsen lost his battle against cancer and passed away May 18.

Roger Nielsen, 63, was president of Roger L. Nielsen and Associates, and managed the Rockwall Economic Technology Park and Rockwall Housing Development Corporation (The Meadows).

Margo has been blogging about his battle for months on her blog at www.margonielsen.com.

A memorial service was held May 21 at at Lakeshore Church with Chaplain Bob Reeves and Pastor Brad Howard officiating. Earlier that day, in a private family ceremony, the Reverend Peter Getz of Holy Trinity by the Lake Episcopal Church inurned Roger’s ashes. He was a member of Holy Trinity by the Lake Episcopal Church and the American Legion in Rockwall.

Roger is survived by his wife of 38 years, Margo (Averill) Nielsen; daughter Jennifer Tyson and husband John of Rockwall; grandson Jack Tyson; sisters-in-law Jodie Parnell and husband Jerry of Steinhatchee, FL, Dolly Ritchie and husband Bill of Portland, OR; nephew Will Watts of Lake City, FL and stepmother Lucille Nielsen of Tallahassee, FL. He was preceded in death by his parents, Donald and Virginia (Smith) Nielsen, of Marianna, FL.

Born December 17, 1945, in Bartow, FL , Nielsen served in the United States Navy during Vietnam. He was the Vice President of Joske’s of Texas when he moved his family to Rockwall in 1985. 

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