Naomi C. (Austin) Nelson

Naomi Clare Austin Nelson, 97, of Mt. Lebanon died at home on December 4, 2024.

Naomi was born on March 12, 1927, the first of four daughters, to Alvin Harper Austin and Louvina Irene Burkett of Ambridge, Pennsylvania. Naomi always had sweet childhood memories, first from an apartment on Merchant Street, and then as the fourth baby came along, to a house on Maplewood Avenue. Sisters Ruth, Mary, and Diane were all lifelong friends as well, three having families in Mt. Lebanon, and one in Crafton.

In high school, Bishop Zubik’s father, Stanley, was one of her homeroom classmates. She graduated from Ambridge High School just before the end of World War II, and entered training as a Cadet Nurse at Presby in 1944. She would have been an Army nurse if the war had not come to an end before her studies were completed. During this time, Naomi’s Christian faith grew due to the friendship and influence of one of her classmates, Jean Harris. Naomi became an RN in February of 1948, and always treasured the friendships of her nursing classmates. They often got together for annual dinners, and outings all through the years.

Naomi worked as a nurse at the D T Watson Home for Children, which mostly served children disabled by polio or cerebral palsy. She later worked at Sewickley Valley Hospital. While at the Watson Home, she had the great honor of being one of the nurses to assist Dr. Jonas Salk during his clinical trials of the polio vaccine.  Naomi had become an active member of the Alliance Church in Ambridge, and she then decided to attend the college of the Alliance Denomination, Nyack College in Nyack, New York and completed a three year certificate there, making more lifelong friends. She considered becoming a medical missionary, but did not feel called to follow that path, so returned to Ambridge. She met and married her true love, Jack Lennart Nelson, after a whirlwind courtship, in July of 1962. She became the sister in law of one of her best friends from childhood, Ailsia Hulet Nelson. Jack and Naomi thoroughly enjoyed almost thirty years of marriage, and were blessed with four children, Joel (Chris), Lynnea, Jimmy (Ingrid) and Laurie (Chris). Her faith and walk with Christ was of paramount importance to Naomi. She was a member of the same Friday night Bible Study for more than 50 years. She enjoyed being a part of the note writing ministry at her church. She loved to send letters and birthday cards, and sent them until the month of her death. Adjectives used to describe her were “loving,” “wonderful soul,” “loved by all.”

Naomi is survived by her children, eleven grandchildren; Kali, Meghan, Emily, Jack, Victoria, Daniel, and Anna Nelson; Abigail and Sophia Cerci; and Reed and Lucas Christner, to whom she was like a second mother, as well as her baby sister Diane Powell, and countless nieces, and nephews. Her parents, sisters Ruth Corll and Mary Smith, and Naomi's first granddaughter, Hannah Renee Nelson, preceded her in death, as did many brothers in law and sisters in law, including her dear sister in law Marion Johnson who passed away earlier this year.

Visitation will be on Monday, December 9, from 2-4 and 6-8pm at DeBor Funeral Home in Brookline.

Funeral Services will be on Tuesday, December 10, at 10:30 in the morning at Beverly Heights Presbyterian Church in Mt. Lebanon, with a graveside service at Mt. Lebanon Cemetery following.

Memorial tributes may be made to two of her favorite charities, MAP International or Smile Train.
 

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