Chris Nelson

Christopher Nelson passed away at home on November 30th, 2025 from an unexpected medical event, at the age of 66. He leaves behind family and friends to mourn the loss of his humor, his kindness, and the empty chairs in the trumpet section of the bands in which he played and the places he gathered with his friends and family after rehearsals and concerts.

Chris was born on September 21, 1959 in Madison, Wisconsin to Robert and Lois (née Hauser) Nelson. His parents supported his love of music with piano and trumpet lessons, and were always in the audience whenever he performed. Beginning at James Madison Memorial High School, and continuing throughout his life, Chris was surrounded by talented teachers, directors, and fellow musicians who challenged his skills as a trumpet player and provided him with ongoing opportunities to play in a wide variety of outstanding musical groups.

While attending UW-Madison, Chris was a proud member of the Marching and Varsity bands from 1977-1981 under the direction of Mike Leckrone. Chris also played with the MATC Jazz Ensemble for a number of semesters, and his paying gigs with American Jazz Express supplied him with the income to purchase an impressive record collection. Through close mutual friends in the marching band, Chris met his wife Viv. They were married in 1983, and throughout their 42 years of marriage they always believed that music was often the basis of many of their “moments of happiness”.

Chris graduated from UW-Madison in 1982 with a BS in Electrical Engineering and relocated to St. Louis to work as an engineer for McDonnell Douglas in their Avionics Engineering Division. While working in St. Louis Chris also pursued an MS in Electrical Engineering from SIU-Edwardsville, graduating in 1988. With a shift in the job market, Chris was given the opportunity to leave the defense industry in 1995, when he accepted a position as an engineer at Cooper Power Systems, now Eaton Corporation, in Waukesha, WI. The family then settled in Brookfield, WI.

The return to Wisconsin brought Chris a lot of happiness. He enjoyed his job, loved being near extended family and friends, and there were many musical opportunities for himself and his family. Chris was proud to have the experience of watching both children follow in his musical footsteps, playing instruments into college and beyond. Jenny became another generational member of the UW-Madison Marching and Varsity bands under the direction of Mike Leckrone, and Steven performed in the UW-Milwaukee Concert Band for four years. A close friend recently began directing the New Berlin Community Band which afforded Chris the opportunity to play in a band with both of his children. It is a group that often has challenging music and fun, themed concerts that they all enjoyed.

Two other current musical groups played a significant role in Chris’s life in Wisconsin. For 13 years, Chris was a member of the Jackson Park Jazz Orchestra—a group whose director and members were predominantly comprised of UW Marching Band alumni and played gigs around Wauwatosa and Milwaukee. He also performed with the accomplished musicians in the Waukesha Area Symphonic Band for 30 rewarding years.

Son Steven was a constant companion for Chris when it came to listening to various music groups around the area, and Chris and Viv spent many years watching friends perform in their bands. After all the years of having his family and in-laws attend his concerts, Chris discovered it is good to be an audience member too. A memorable perk of knowing so many musicians was that some of those musician friends were a part of daughter Jenny and son-in-law Kevin’s wedding. A group formed a quintet to play at the church, and another friend’s band performed at the reception. It was a very special day.

Chris has been blessed by these friendships and will be missed by many, but Viv will miss him most of all in the quiet of the evening, in their backyard gazebo, looking out over their beautiful garden at sunset.

Chris is preceded in death by parents Bob and Lois Nelson, and his father-in-law Jim DiMarco. Chris is survived by his wife Viv, his daughter Jenny (Kevin) Ross, and his son Steven Nelson, his mother-in-law Jan DiMarco, sister-in-law Angela (John) Bylancik, brother-in-law Steve (Margaret) DiMarco, sister Anne (Scott) Jasperson, nieces, nephews, and of course, so many wonderful friends.

Memorial service to be held on Saturday, January 10th, 2026 at Krause Funeral Home, 21600 West Capitol Drive, Brookfield, Wisconsin. Visitation will be from 10:00 AM to 12:00 PM with a service starting at 12:00 PM. Luncheon will follow at 1:00 PM.

Donations in Chris’s name can be made to the Leckrone Arts Fund.