Douglas A. Nelson

Douglas A. “Doug” Nelson, 72, of Urbana, formerly of Rock Island, IL, passed away on Thursday, July 30th, 2026, unexpectedly, but surrounded by his wife and children.

Doug was born in Rock Island to Kenneth & Barbara Nelson and lived most of his life in 3 homes, all less than a mile apart from each other. He met Marcia Luse at Memorial Christian Church, where he attended, and her father served as pastor. They were married on June 21, 1975, and recently celebrated 51 years of marriage. They were best friends.

Doug was father to Andy (Kelly) and Cooper, both of Savoy, and a beloved Papa to Cora and Bryce. He is additionally survived by his sister, Kathi (Jeff), of Raleigh, NC, as well as many nieces, nephews, and friends. We all miss him so much.

He loved caring for and serving others and was a strong force in the Christian faith. He made you feel at home and supported. He impacted his communities positively and with humanity. Doug was hopeful. Hopeful for a better world, for kindness, for inclusivity, for each of us to love one another.

He received an Accounting degree from Augustana College in 1976. During his studies, he worked in the produce department at Eagle Foods and, after graduation, stayed with the company, moving to the corporate office. There he held several roles, including managing the accounting department. In 1992, he went to work for the Girl Scouts of Eastern Iowa and Western Illinois as Chief Financial Officer, where he proudly called himself a Girl Scout. He retired in 2019 after 27 years. His choice of working at a non-profit for his career embodies his servant nature.

Doug was a Christian, associating with the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) denomination. For most of his life, he was a member of 15th Avenue Christian Church, Rock Island, a church started by his great-grandparents. He was a man of God and used his gifts, singing in the choir and serving in every possible leadership position, including as Chairman of the Elders and several terms as Chairman of the Board. His most cherished activity was bell ringer in the bell choir. After moving to Urbana in 2022, he and Marcia joined UniPlace Christian Church, where he again found meaningful involvement with the congregation and took on various leadership roles.

Doug was a collector…namely of compact discs and DVD’s that took up most of a room. He was happy to share these collections with his family and friends, using a detailed spreadsheet to keep track of his library. He greatly appreciated music, especially reading lyrics and liner notes. He and Marcia also enjoyed puzzles (another collection) and working on them together. He liked Lego (okay, one more collection) and building with his family, especially his grandchildren.

Doug traveled extensively in the United States, starting when he was young and eventually visiting all 50 states. He passed down a love of nature to his children through weeks-long road trips, many times to Rocky Mountain National Park, or Door County, WI, two highly favored destinations. For him, it was always about where to go next and how to experience and enjoy what God created.

Doug was preceded in death by his parents.

Visitation will be held from 1:00 pm to 3:00 pm on Friday, August 28th, 2026, at Hudson Farm, 1341 County Rd 1800 E, Urbana, IL 61802. A Celebration of Doug’s Life will be held immediately following visitation at 3:00 pm.

Sunset Funeral Home and Cremation Center’s Champaign Chapel is honored to be assisting the family with funeral arrangements.

In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made in Doug’s name to the Eastern Illinois Foodbank (eifoodbank.org), Crisis Nursery (crisisnursery.net), or Rocky Mountain Conservancy (rmconservancy.org).

Please join Doug’s family in sharing memories, photos, and videos on his tribute wall at www.sunsetfuneralhome.com.