Katherine Nelson

Katherine A. Nelson, 84, of Meadville, died suddenly, at her home, on Sunday, November 14, 2021.

Born September 4, 1937 in Newark, N.J., Kathy was the daughter of the late John Francis and Emma Mattern O’Neil.

Kathy graduated from Allegheny College, with a double major in Mathematics and Chemistry. She earned her M.S. in Chemistry from the University of Maryland and worked for several years as a research chemist.  At age 40, she enrolled in Dickinson School of Law, where she completed her J.D. Kathy clerked for a judge of the Commonwealth Court of Pennsylvania for one year and then worked at AMP Incorporated as a patent attorney until her retirement.

Kathy married Peter B. Nelson in 1961.  The couple spent their early married years in College Park, MD, where their daughter was born.  Later they moved to La Plata, MD and Aberdeen, MD, prior to settling in the Mechanicsburg, PA area in 1972, where they resided until moving to the Wesbury Retirement Community in 2012.

Kathy was an active member of Silver Spring Presbyterian Church for 40 years, serving, at various times, as a Deacon, an Elder, and a Trustee, as well as a Trustee of the Carlisle Presbytery. She was also an enthusiastic member of the church’s R.O.A.R (Reach Out And Rebuild) construction team.

Encouraged initially by her father, and later by mentors in higher education, as well as her proud and supportive in-laws and husband, Kathy was fearless in pursuing her interests in realms considered “unfeminine” by some of her era, whether that meant arguing with her high school about why girls couldn’t take woodworking classes, staring down recalcitrant basketball players a foot taller than her as a graduate student Teaching Assistant, being hired as AMP’s first-ever female attorney in 1981, or learning to read blueprints to help direct fellow R.O.A.R. volunteers.

Her meticulous nature and spatial awareness also contributed to her creative pursuits, which included sewing, knitting, crocheting, needlework, and quilting. When her daughter was young, Kathy taught sewing classes, and was skilled in creating anything from lingerie to men’s suits.  In retirement, she fully embraced needlework and quilting, delighting in mastering new techniques, planning future projects, making new friends, and adding to her gadget collection.

An avid reader, Kathy loved to get lost in a book.  She and Peter also enjoyed gardening, travel, and Scottish Country Dancing.  Their move to Meadville provided Kathy, a loyal Allegheny alumna, opportunities to enjoy the college’s cultural offerings and pursue her life-long love of learning via Adult Learning Classes and participation in the Community Chorus.

Generous and thoughtful by nature, Kathy took pleasure in sharing her creative gifts and organizational skills with family, friends, and the various organizations of which she was a part. She and Peter, who died in 2018, enjoyed a loving partnership, based on care, faith, humor, and mutual respect.

Survivors include a daughter, Margaret, also of Meadville; a brother and sister-in-law, John and Pat, of Churchville, VA; a cousin, Nancy, of Winston-Salem, NC; and, in the Nelson family, a sister-in-law, Helen, of Portland, OR; three nieces, a great nephew, and a great niece.

A memorial service will take place at 2pm on Tuesday, June 7 ^th at First Presbyterian Church in Meadville, with the family available to greet visitors as of 1pm. Another service, and interment, will occur at Silver Spring Presbyterian Church, Mechanicsburg, PA.

In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made in Kathy’s memory to Allegheny College, to the Wesbury Foundation’s Benevolent Care Fund 31 N. Park Avenue
Meadville, PA 16335 or to First Presbyterian Church, 890 Liberty St., Meadville, PA 16335.

Arrangements were entrusted to Hatheway-Tedesco Funeral Home and Crematory, 614 Baldwin St., Meadville, PA 16335.