Douglas Arnold Neilson

The parents of Douglas were both born and raised in small towns in Idaho. Delbert Augustas Neilson and June DeWitt met and married in Idaho. They were married in the Idaho Falls Temple in 1947 after Delbert completed his wartime service in the Merchant Marine. Delbert and June had three children over the next few years; Lynette, Douglas, and Marilee. Delbert had moved his family to the little town of Bell, about 25 miles east of Los Angeles, where he was self-employed as a painter, paper-hanger, and cabinet-maker. The burgeoning post-war economy in the area allowed Delbert to provide well for his family. Lynette was born on the 25th of September, 1948 in Escondido, California. Douglas appeared on the scene on the 20th of April, 1951, also in Escondido. Marilee was born on 2 July, 1957, also in Escondido. Delbert moved his family to the small town of Bellflower near to Bell. Here all three children would grow up and complete high school. Douglas married a high school sweetheart, Mary Evelyn Bentrup, in the summer of his graduation in 1969 but at such young ages the marriage did not last. Douglas then served in the U.S. Navy for three years from 1972 through 1974. After serving in the navy, Douglas pursued higher education and achieved an Associates Degree in Electronic Analysis in 1977 and was thereafter employed as an electronic technician performing troubleshooting analysis on various electronic devices for several employers. In 1973 Douglas married Fran Galasso and this union produced three children; Brent, 1974, Ashley ,1976, and Scott, 1979. Douglas and Fran later divorced in 1979. Fran passed away in 2024. In 1982 Douglas married Gina LaRae Anderton and this union produced two children, Jaime Randall, 1983, and Janel Hill, 1988. Douglas and Gina remained married for 43 years until Douglas's death of cancer on 12 April, 2025 at the age of nearly 74. Douglas is survived by a current and former spouse, 5 children, 14 grandchildren, and 5 great-grandchildren, all in various locations around the western US. A Memorial service will be held for Douglas on 26 April 2025 at the LDS Chapel at 4270 Falcon Road (4145 W) in West Valley City, Utah, at 4:00 PM. Family and friends are all invited. This is the chapel for the Jordan North Second Ward served by Bishop James Yorgason.

Douglas Arnold Neilson

April 20, 1951 - April 12, 2025