Thomas Nelson, 86

Tom Nelson of Three Rivers, died of a heart attack on Monday, January 19, 2026, surrounded by his family. He was 86 years old. Tom was born in 1939 in Hillsboro, Ohio to Orville Nelson and Leota White Nelson. At the age of 10, Tom moved to Spencer, West Virginia where he lived with his mother and his beloved stepfather, Walter Carpenter, until his senior year in high school. At that time, Tom moved to White Pigeon to live with his father. Among other things, Tom and his father built a house together. He graduated from White Pigeon High School in 1957 and remained devoted to his classmates for the rest of his life.

Tom served as a storekeeper in the Navy in his early 20s and was among the first students to attend Glen Oaks Community College when it was located in White Pigeon. He later completed his education at Nazareth College, one of the first men admitted to study there. Tom worked in a variety of industries over the course of his life – at Weyerhaeuser, in the travel trailer industry, in advertising, as manager of the Bottle Barn, and finally as the owner of Mapleland Auto in Three Rivers.

Tom had an abiding interest in current events and politics and was ever on the side of the underdog. In the early 1970s, he was a member of D.O.E.R.S, a local organization that helped fund the new junior high school in Three Rivers. He later served on the School Board and was a strong advocate for vocational and technical education. In the 1980s, he was part of an underground group of people who exposed race-based housing discrimination in Kalamazoo County, and he was committed to confronting racism, sexism, and homophobia whenever he encountered it. Tom was an active member of the First Presbyterian Church of Three Rivers for over 50 years where he served in a variety of roles.

In May 1969, Tom married his high school girlfriend/sweetheart from West Virginia, Cynthia Ward Westfall. With Cindy came two children – Scott and Sarah Westfall. Tom was a loving, supportive husband to Cindy, encouraging her to complete her education, continue on to graduate work, to travel, to learn to tap dance, and to have many adventures wintering in Gulf Shores, Alabama. He was an extraordinary stepfather to Scott and Sarah, providing them with unconditional love and important life skills like changing a bike tire, telling a joke, managing money, and driving a stick shift.

Tom was preceded in death by his parents and stepfather, his siblings Charlotte Nell, Marilyn, and Don, and his nephew Eric. He is survived by his wife Cindy Nelson, his children Scott (Nan) Westfall and Sarah Westfall, grandchildren Andy (Kim) Westfall and Lindsey Westfall (Joseph Creek), and great-grandchildren Reid and Harper Westfall and Theo and Luca Creek. David and Danielle Hanna and children Ezra, Charlotte, and Jax, along with Pierre and Jen Delago round out Tom’s grandchildren and great-grandchildren. Nieces Laura Nelson, Teresa Hancock, Alicia Moore, and Kate Nelson also survive.

Tom’s family and friends will celebrate his life (and sense of humor, stubbornness, curiosity…) with a summer gathering at his home. Tom’s final gift was serving as a body donor to the Western Michigan University School of Medicine.

Arrangements by Hohner Funeral Home.