Dave was a Bellingham native who joined the U.S. Marine Corps after graduating from Sehome High School. After serving bravely in Iraq and traveling the world, Dave and his new wife Marla settled in south Florida.
Though living far away from friends and family, Dave still managed to keep in touch and even maintained his role as the glue that kept all of his friends together. Dave had that infectious personality that drew everybody in. His free spirit and devilish smile always set the stage for a good time.
Dave experienced as much in his 31 years of life as anyone could hope to achieve in 100 years. His service to our country, and devotion to friends and family was truly admirable. The Dave Nelson Memorial Foundation strives to honor his life by giving back to the community he loved. Our goal is to support young people who embody some of Dave’s spirit and whose family members have served our country. The Dave Nelson Memorial Foundation thanks the Whatcom Community Foundation and all of our supporters in helping us achieve this goal.
