NORTH YARMOUTH — David Merrill Nelson, 63, of North Yarmouth, died Feb. 14 after a battle with cancer.

He was born on June 15, 1950 in Minneapolis, Minn., and spent his childhood between Burnsville, Minn., and Jacksonville, Fla. He enlisted in the U.S. Army after graduating from Nathan B. Clifford High School in Jacksonville, Fla. He served from 1968 to 1970, including two tours in Vietnam.

Nelson spent time traveling the country and settled in Savage, Minn., from 1972 to1998, raising his two children and working at Continental Machine before becoming an owner of Shaker’s Tavern & Grille from 1988 to 1996 with his previous wife, Linda.

He moved to Maine in 1998, and married Jayne Taylor in 2000. He found contentment and pride in maintaining their home and became a champion in helping to foster with his wife for the Homeless Animal Rescue Team of Cumberland.

Nelson was predeceased by his parents, Wilfred “Bud” and Sophie (Bursch) Nelson and his sisters, Frances Bass and Bonnie Kelley. He is survived by his wife, Jayne Nelson of North Yarmouth; his son, Michael Nelson, of Savage, Minn.; his daughter, Crystal Blaha, and her husband, Jon, of Bloomington, Minn.; his stepson, Ryan Campbell and his wife, Ginger, of Mars Hill; grandchildren Hailey, Landon, Cody, Taylor and Keynan; his sister, Mary Chamberlain of Waconia, Minn.; his nephews, Christopher Chamberlain and Patrick Kelley; and his nieces, Maggie Hawkinson and Sabrina Kelley.

A memorial is planned for this spring.

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