Alan Edward Nielsen Jr "Ed" passed away 11 January, 2013 in Wailuku, Maui, Hawaii, from a rare blood disorder and a hemorrhagic stroke. Born on 9 August 1965 in Ponce, Puerto Rico, Ed began life on another tropical island, where his father was serving as a communications specialist in the U.S. Navy. As the eldest son of Alan E Nielsen Sr of Arizona and Laurie Neff of Oregon, he was reared in Martinez, CA and raised in Anchorage, Alaska where he graduated from East Anchorage High School in 1983. In pursuit of well-laid plans and ambitions, he earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Aerospace Engineering from the University of Arizona in Tucson in 1987.
Ed loved and lived life to the fullest. He was a visionary in the Space community, and his passion permeated his professional as well as his personal life. Ed had a gifted ability to uncover the root challenges of complex problems. He entered his career with General Dynamics in Fort Worth, Texas, in hypersonic research. In 1993, he began a quest to affect an enterprise-wide paradigm shift to ensure our country's free access to space, first as part of the staff and management of Schafer Corporation and later as the owner of Shifted Logic, a consulting company, working in Washington, DC: Albuquerque, New Mexico; and lastly, in Maui, Hawaii. With some of his original objectives met and other in play, Ed had begun in recent years to focus his remarkable drive and innovative vision on other areas of interest where he could make a difference, including the renewable energy, entertainment, and space transportation fields. He cared deeply about doing good things for our nation and for the many people with whom he felt a connection. Ed is remembered above all as a fiercely independent original with a sharp wit who applied his energy and vantage to help others. Conversations with Ed rarely focused on him and usually drifted towards the philosophical aspects of everyday life. Continuous self-education was a lifelong theme as he fed a substantial curiosity to dive into many diverse interests. He was a sport enthusiast and enjoyed many outdoor activities, including running, hiking, gardening, and travel, as well as literary pursuits such as authoring blogs, poetry, and screen plays.
A memorial was held Friday February 1, 2013 at the Ballard Family Mortuary in Kahului, Hawaii. He was cremated. A "Celebration of Life" was held in Livermore, CA on July 28th, 2013, for his family & Friends The ashes were scattered on August 11, 2017 in the Hatcher Pass area, Archangel Canyon area, North of Anchorage, AK. per his wishes.
Ed loved and lived life to the fullest. He was a visionary in the Space community, and his passion permeated his professional as well as his personal life. Ed had a gifted ability to uncover the root challenges of complex problems. He entered his career with General Dynamics in Fort Worth, Texas, in hypersonic research. In 1993, he began a quest to affect an enterprise-wide paradigm shift to ensure our country's free access to space, first as part of the staff and management of Schafer Corporation and later as the owner of Shifted Logic, a consulting company, working in Washington, DC: Albuquerque, New Mexico; and lastly, in Maui, Hawaii. With some of his original objectives met and other in play, Ed had begun in recent years to focus his remarkable drive and innovative vision on other areas of interest where he could make a difference, including the renewable energy, entertainment, and space transportation fields. He cared deeply about doing good things for our nation and for the many people with whom he felt a connection. Ed is remembered above all as a fiercely independent original with a sharp wit who applied his energy and vantage to help others. Conversations with Ed rarely focused on him and usually drifted towards the philosophical aspects of everyday life. Continuous self-education was a lifelong theme as he fed a substantial curiosity to dive into many diverse interests. He was a sport enthusiast and enjoyed many outdoor activities, including running, hiking, gardening, and travel, as well as literary pursuits such as authoring blogs, poetry, and screen plays.
A memorial was held Friday February 1, 2013 at the Ballard Family Mortuary in Kahului, Hawaii. He was cremated. A "Celebration of Life" was held in Livermore, CA on July 28th, 2013, for his family & Friends The ashes were scattered on August 11, 2017 in the Hatcher Pass area, Archangel Canyon area, North of Anchorage, AK. per his wishes.
Alan Edward Nielsen Jr "Ed" passed away 11 January, 2013 in Wailuku, Maui, Hawaii, from a rare blood disorder and a hemorrhagic stroke. Born on 9 August 1965 in Ponce, Puerto Rico, Ed began life on another tropical island, where his father was serving as a communications specialist in the U.S. Navy. As the eldest son of Alan E Nielsen Sr of Arizona and Laurie Neff of Oregon, he was reared in Martinez, CA and raised in Anchorage, Alaska where he graduated from East Anchorage High School in 1983. In pursuit of well-laid plans and ambitions, he earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Aerospace Engineering from the University of Arizona in Tucson in 1987.
Ed loved and lived life to the fullest. He was a visionary in the Space community, and his passion permeated his professional as well as his personal life. Ed had a gifted ability to uncover the root challenges of complex problems. He entered his career with General Dynamics in Fort Worth, Texas, in hypersonic research. In 1993, he began a quest to affect an enterprise-wide paradigm shift to ensure our country's free access to space, first as part of the staff and management of Schafer Corporation and later as the owner of Shifted Logic, a consulting company, working in Washington, DC: Albuquerque, New Mexico; and lastly, in Maui, Hawaii. With some of his original objectives met and other in play, Ed had begun in recent years to focus his remarkable drive and innovative vision on other areas of interest where he could make a difference, including the renewable energy, entertainment, and space transportation fields. He cared deeply about doing good things for our nation and for the many people with whom he felt a connection. Ed is remembered above all as a fiercely independent original with a sharp wit who applied his energy and vantage to help others. Conversations with Ed rarely focused on him and usually drifted towards the philosophical aspects of everyday life. Continuous self-education was a lifelong theme as he fed a substantial curiosity to dive into many diverse interests. He was a sport enthusiast and enjoyed many outdoor activities, including running, hiking, gardening, and travel, as well as literary pursuits such as authoring blogs, poetry, and screen plays.
A memorial was held Friday February 1, 2013 at the Ballard Family Mortuary in Kahului, Hawaii. He was cremated. A "Celebration of Life" was held in Livermore, CA on July 28th, 2013, for his family & Friends The ashes were scattered on August 11, 2017 in the Hatcher Pass area, Archangel Canyon area, North of Anchorage, AK. per his wishes.
Ed loved and lived life to the fullest. He was a visionary in the Space community, and his passion permeated his professional as well as his personal life. Ed had a gifted ability to uncover the root challenges of complex problems. He entered his career with General Dynamics in Fort Worth, Texas, in hypersonic research. In 1993, he began a quest to affect an enterprise-wide paradigm shift to ensure our country's free access to space, first as part of the staff and management of Schafer Corporation and later as the owner of Shifted Logic, a consulting company, working in Washington, DC: Albuquerque, New Mexico; and lastly, in Maui, Hawaii. With some of his original objectives met and other in play, Ed had begun in recent years to focus his remarkable drive and innovative vision on other areas of interest where he could make a difference, including the renewable energy, entertainment, and space transportation fields. He cared deeply about doing good things for our nation and for the many people with whom he felt a connection. Ed is remembered above all as a fiercely independent original with a sharp wit who applied his energy and vantage to help others. Conversations with Ed rarely focused on him and usually drifted towards the philosophical aspects of everyday life. Continuous self-education was a lifelong theme as he fed a substantial curiosity to dive into many diverse interests. He was a sport enthusiast and enjoyed many outdoor activities, including running, hiking, gardening, and travel, as well as literary pursuits such as authoring blogs, poetry, and screen plays.
A memorial was held Friday February 1, 2013 at the Ballard Family Mortuary in Kahului, Hawaii. He was cremated. A "Celebration of Life" was held in Livermore, CA on July 28th, 2013, for his family & Friends The ashes were scattered on August 11, 2017 in the Hatcher Pass area, Archangel Canyon area, North of Anchorage, AK. per his wishes.
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