Jesse Jeremy Nelson

Jesse J Nelson, age 52, passed away at home surrounded by his loved ones on Wednesday 7/17/2024. He died from heart failure.

Jesse leaves behind his partner, Gara Dunn, Children, Gabriella, Jesse Taiyo, Kaito Sean, and Jayden Kaye-Paige Nelson. Grandsons (children of Kaito Sean) Sebastian Ray and Leonidas Nelson. Stepsons Noah Charles and Gabriel Ryan Linville, Mom and dad Jones and sister Sarah Jones, and many friends and family.

Jesse was born on 3/10/1972 to Nicholas and Holly Nelson of Salem Or. He was the oldest and had two younger sisters. While he was young his family moved to Vivian Louisiana where he started going to school and met his lifelong best friend Michael Mixon Jr.., Both were in the Boy Scouts of America, and both achieved the level of life scout. Michael’s father served in the Marines and received a silver star medal and two purple heart medals for his service. He was one of Jesse’s heroes and it helped define a part of Jesses life. In addition to that, as Jesse got older, his father Nick taught him how to hunt, and Jesse enjoyed these moments with his father. He went to North Caddo High school for a time, but the family moved back to Salem Oregon, so he continued his education at South Salem High School. During this time Jesse met his second family when he became friends with Casey Jones. Casey and his family took Jesse in and treated him like a brother and son, and to this day Jesse viewed Caseys family (Glen Jones, Linda Jones, and Sister Sarah Jones) as his family, and lovingly referred to them as Mom and Dad.

After graduating high school in 1990, Jesse enlisted in the United States Marine Corp in 1991. He was stationed in Okinawa Japan as a Land Support Specialist. While he was serving in Japan his first daughter Gabriella was born in Salem Or. He met his “brother from another mother” Eggie (Edgar) Jusino who he had many adventures and memories with. He then met and married Nayomi (stone) Nelson in Japan.

After the Marines Jesse and Nayomi returned to Salem OR. And during their marriage they had two sons, Jesse (Taiyo) and Kaito and remained friends after their separation. While in Salem Jesse worked at a rock quarry in Stayton Oregon and learned how to weld. He also became father to his youngest daughter Jayden.

Eventually Jesse relocated to California and worked a variety of jobs. He was employed with Kaiser Permanente working on the cardiac stroke unit. In 2012 he met his partner Gara and they moved to Half Moon Bay California in 2013. Jesse became employed for Rick Hearns Production Studios in the San Francisco Bay area and designed and built stage props. Eventually both Jesse and Gara worked for Cabrillo Unified School district where he worked as the Lead Maintenance Technician. In 2018 they moved back to Salem OR where he most recently employed with Northwest Restoration in Donald Or.

In his free time Jesse was always creating art. He loved to draw and paint. His most recent passion was woodturning with his dad (Glen Jones). He also loved darts and paintball and had at one time been part of a dart league winning several trophies and on a sponsored team for paintball tournaments. He loved riding motorcycles and would go hunting on occasion. He always loved spending time with his family. He loved to go to the shooting range with his sons, spending time with his grandkids, hanging with his Mom and Dad Jones, and of course going midnight beaching with Gara and his stepsons with their dogs in tow.

Jesse throughout his lifetime had a magnetic personality. He was always looking on the bright side of things, and whatever happened he would make the best of it. He never missed an opportunity to have fun. He wanted to make people feel good when they were with him. He had endless jokes for every occasion and could make anyone laugh. He took a genuine interest in others, and never forgot someone’s name because as he said, “nothing you say will be more important to a person than their own name.” Even when Jesse was fighting for his life, he still knew the names of every doctor, nurse, and therapist and became one of their favorite patients.

Jesse was diagnosed with Takotsubo (broken heart syndrome) in Aug. 2020. In October 2020 he had his first hospitalization where it progressed to Heart Failure. Jesse changed his lifestyle and when he went in for his check up in August 2021, his heart was working like it should. Despite the changes, his heart failure came back and began to get worse. Jesse spent the last two months of his life in the hospital to find out that there was nothing more they could do.

Jesse came home on 7/16/2024 where his pets were overjoyed to see him. On 7/17, he had the day he wanted. He was able to spend time with his sons, grandsons, stepsons, and his Dad (Glen Jones). And with Gara and his family at his side, he died peacefully surrounded with love.

Jesse is preceded in death by, his father Nicholas Nelson, his sister, Jennifer Nelson and his brother, Casey Jones.

Jesse is not letting death get in the way of his fun. Right now he is having a blast with his loved ones, and when it is our turn, Jesse will be right there ready to embrace us, tell us how much he loves us and wonder why it took us so long to join the party.

He will be missed, forever loved, and never forgotten.