Mitchell Allen "Mitch" Nelson

Mitchell ‘Mitch’ Allen Nelson, Pasadena, CA, passed away on March 22, 2023. Mitch was born on November 5, 1971 to Tom and Cathie Nelson. Growing up in Prairie du Chien, he was active in Cub Scouts and Boys Scouts. He graduated from Prairie du Chien High School in the class of 1990. Mitch was a Cadet of Bergen County of the Drum Corps International that won the World Champions in 1993.

A 1995 graduate from Michigan Tech with a BA in Metallurgical Engineering, Mitch continued his schooling with advanced degrees from UW-Milwaukee and Wichita State. 

Mitch authored Born the Author, “Bear Feed” and Auggie the Doggie Nelson.

Mitch worked as a Procurement Quality Assurance at Jet Propulsion Lab (JPL), at the NASA Center based in Pasadena, CA. His work focused on unmanned planetary exploration. During his time with NASA, he chaired and vice-chaired the Nadcap Heat Treat Task Group, governed to manage the quality of aerospace heat treat processors. Following the Deepwater Horizon incident, he was part of a team brought into BP Exploration, Alaska to help develop supplier quality management on Alaskan’s North Slope. 

He is survived and will be dearly missed by his parents, Tom and Cathie Nelson, Prairie du Chien, brother Jon and Suzy Nelson, his nephew Andrew and most of all Auggie the Doggie Nelson. It also includes the rest of US throughout the World.

Wherever Mitch would meet for the moment, there was always music in this heart and a love for his passion. He was a M.A.N. A man with a Big Heart, as Big as the World.

Visitation will be held on Friday, April 21, 2023 from 4 -7 pm at Garrity Funeral Home. Services will be held on Saturday, April 22, 2023, 10:30 am  at St. Peter Lutheran Church, Prairie du Chien, with visitation taking place one hour before. The family requests no flowers.

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