Lyle Leon Nelson

Lyle Leon Nelson, 78, passed from this life early in the morning on July 31, 2015.

Lyle was born on September 11, 1936 in Rochester, Minnesota, and grew up in Oronoco, Minnesota.

Among the accomplishments of which Lyle was most proud was his service to his country in the United States Army, where he served at various times in the 5th and 10th Special Forces Groups. As a Green Beret, Lyle served combat tours in Southeast Asia, with additional postings both in Germany and stateside.

After the military, Lyle leveraged his skills, experience, and initiative in several other successful careers. He spent time working as an over-the-road truck driver, owned and operated the Busy Bee Cab Company of Lawton, Oklahoma; and finished his working life as a technician manager at Treasure Island Resort and Casino in Red Wing, Minnesota.

Over the course of his life, Lyle enjoyed many outdoor pursuits, including hunting, fishing, and alpine skiing. In his later years, he passed his time feeding both hummingbirds-which he admired for their beauty-and squirrels, which he admired for their "ingenuity." Lyle is remembered by his family, friends, and neighbors as a kind and generous man who gave freely of his time, efforts, and resources. His friendly, outgoing demeanor and penchant for storytelling made hours pass like minutes, while his broad life experience gave him wisdom and insight with which he was very generous, in the hopes of helping those around him. Lyle was fond of the expression, "It's quite a life," and in his case, it truly was.

Lyle is survived by his wife of 30 years, Norita ("Rita") Nelson, of Red Wing; his Mother, Margaret Petersen, of Rochester; his son Kevin (Michelle) Nelson, also of Rochester; three grandchildren, his niece Sarah (Matt), his nephews Peter (Ann) and Eric (Barb), his dear friend Harry (Carol) Meyer, several cousins, and Muffin, his beloved cat.

The family will have a private celebration of life at a later date.