UBSC Passing: Don Nelson

Published on obits.postandcourier.com/us/obituaries/denvergazette/

Don Nelson

Donald Wade Nelson

Feb 12, 1943 — Jul 5, 2026
Littleton, Colorado

Husband, brother, father, grandfather, Donald Wade Nelson, 83, of Littleton, CO, passed away peacefully on July 5, 2026, concluding his long, successful, and content life on earth.

Don was born February 12, 1943, in Dayton, Ohio to Clarissa and Byron Nelson. He attended Heidelberg University in Tiffin, Ohio and went on to pursue a long career in information technology primarily for the banking industry, ultimately retiring from Wells Fargo. Don served in the United States Army from 1966-1970, including service in Vietnam. He was extremely proud of his more than 35 years in computers and his military service remained an important contribution during his life.

Don married Jeannette (Jan) Holle on May 1, 1971, in Dayton, Ohio. The couple met at their place of employment, NCR Corporation, where they both worked in computer systems. Don and Jan then moved to Colorado after becoming fond of the state during a honeymoon trip. They shared 55 years together at their home in the Leawood community of Littleton, Colorado.

Don is survived by his wife Jeannette, his brother Larry (Pam), his children Andrea (Matt Wilgenbusch) and Tony (Bobbi), and his grandchildren Ella and Ethan. Not to mention quite a few grand pets, both furry and feathered.

Don was a man of few words, but he had a big heart and playful sense of humor. He loved his family and his home. He also loved animals, especially cats, and was known for picking up and adopting strays. During his lifetime, Don enjoyed gardening, good wine, travel, cars (especially Corvettes), reading, investing, and lifelong learning. He loved history and learning about it on road trips, in museums, and as a die-hard PBS and Nova fan. Don truly was a walking encyclopedia and could beat anyone at a game of trivia.

For many years Don volunteered with Wilderness on Wheels, helping provide nature access to people with disabilities. For more than a decade, he served as a board member and volunteer with Kiwanis Club of Columbine, participating in a range of service projects that benefited local groups and people in need.

Don’s memory will live on in the hearts of all who knew and loved him. A Memorial Service will be held August 15, 2026, 10:30am, at Ascension Lutheran Church (1701 W Caley Ave, Littleton, CO 80120) with luncheon to follow.

Tom Mauro's memoriam:

DON NELSON – IN MEMORIAM

Condolences to Jan and family. Your husband and father was a great contributor to the United Banks Service Company which became Norwest and then Wells Fargo Services. I was honored to work with him for over 25 years.

He was instrumental in the development and maintenance of on-line NCR and IBM banking systems. Probably most exciting during our time together was the development of the United Minibank system. It consisted of Automated Teller Machines [ATMs] which were new to the world of banking at that time about 1976.

He was a great computer programmer, knew how to solve problems, and always gave more than 100% never leaving until the job was done.

It was an honor to work with him, to be considered a friend, and to know how reliable and dedicated he was to his work, his family, and his friends.

He will be missed.
-- Sincerely, Tom and Joie Mauro

An overview by David Whorton:

Don [ enlisted in the US Army and ] got his start in computers in the late 1960's. Ultimately reaching the rank of Staff Sergeant, Don programmed from a trailer in Vietnam.

After joining United Banks, he became part of the UBSC team. He was a senior programmer on the NCR Century 300 system. In the late 1970's United Banks and UBSC management decided to migrate the teller application, and add an online ATM system to the IBM platform. Don was part of a group of NCR programmers to train on IBM Assembly language, JCL, CICS, and various IBM system utilities. Vendor applications were purchased. Don was given the task of rewriting the vendor code to create an online teller application on the IBM platform, interfacing through CICS, to meet the requirements of United Banks.

After spending several years in the support and development of the online teller system, Don moved into a role of Technical Advisor. In this capacity, Don assisted multiple application groups with a focus on assisting them with CICS to application system interfaces. Don ultimately moved into a role of Technical Production Coordinator. Using his widespread knowledge across multiple applications, Don ensured that appropriate controls and quality measures had been taken prior to changes being introduced to the production systems.

-- David Whorton