GILROY
– Sara Nelson, who served on Gilroy’s City Council from 1987 to
1991, died at her Coos Bay, Ore., home Monday morning.
She was 61.
Nelson campaigned successfully against creating a redevelopment
agency in the city of Gilroy and was an outspoken member of the
City Council.
GILROY – Sara Nelson, who served on Gilroy’s City Council from 1987 to 1991, died at her Coos Bay, Ore., home Monday morning.
She was 61.
Nelson campaigned successfully against creating a redevelopment agency in the city of Gilroy and was an outspoken member of the City Council.
Born in Long Beach, Nelson grew up in Pacific Grove. She lived in San Francisco and San Jose before moving to Gilroy with her husband Stan in 1984. They lived in the city for about 10 years before moving to Oregon.
“She was the only Christian conservative on the Council,” Stan Nelson said. “She took a stand in the things she believed in. She studied issues thoroughly and had her mind made up about them.”
Longtime friend Ben Gilmore remembers her as an informed member of the City Council.
“I was very impressed with her speed reading skills,” he said. “She would read through the thick agenda before each City Council meeting. She knew what she was talking about.”
Though her political views were not always the most popular, she is remembered fondly for having the courage of her convictions.
“She offered another side of things that most people would not have seen,” said County Supervisor Don Gage, who was mayor at the time. “I had a lot of respect for her. I didn’t always agree with her on issues, but I agreed with her enthusiasm and her tenacity.”
For about nine years after moving to Oregon, Nelson struggled with circulation problems in her leg that necessitated a series of major pioneering vascular surgery. She died away at Baycrest Village, a nursing center in Oregon.
In addition to her participation on the Council, Nelson also was a secretary with a used-auto dealership, a manager of a rental unit and a housewife.
“You know it’s going to happen, but you’re still surprised when it does,” said Stan Nelson.
In addition to her husband, she is survived by four sons, Stefan, 45, who lives in Monterey; Mark, 44, and Daniel, 42, both of whom live in Hood River, Oregon; and Sean, 29, who is currently a civilian contractor in Iraq.
Services will be held 1 p.m., Saturday, April 24, at Hope Covenant Reform Church, 580 E. 9th St. , Coquille, Ore.
Charitable donations may be sent to the American Center for Law and Justice (ACLJ), P.O. Box 450349, Atlanta, GA 31145-0349, or to the Coquille Reformed Church.
