Oliver W. Nelson

Oliver W. Nelson, better known as “Ozzie”, was 79 when he passed away peacefully and surrounded by his family on December 6, 2025, in his hometown of Rockford, Illinois. Born on June 27, 1946, he was one of three children to Charles Oliver and Gladys V. (Josephson) Nelson. Ozzie went on to graduate from East High School, class of 1964, and then served in the U.S. Army during the Vietnam Conflict, entering in 1968 and honorably discharged in 1971. Ozzie met his future wife, Mary Jo Capriola, and they wed on September 18, 1982. In his professional career, Ozzie utilized his love for helping people by practicing Elder Law; he spent over four decades as a lawyer helping people with their trusts, estates, and probate before his retirement in 2020. His calling to help people also notably led him to fight for women’s rights (NOW Chapter), and assisted Veterans with their VA benefits. Along with his love of helping people, Ozzie was truly a quiet, kind, and thoughtful man. He was a parishioner of St. Rita Catholic Church, had a particular soft spot for cats, and was a devoted fan to the Chicago Bears, Cubs, and Illinois Fighting Illini.

He will be missed by those who loved him most, his wife of 43 years, Mary Jo; their daughters, Sarah (Dennis) O’Keefe and Stephanie (Alex) Pentney; grandchildren Lucas Alexander and Ella Rose Pentney; grandkitties, Stacey and Cubby O’Keefe; his sisters, Lyn (Ronald) Bianchi and Susan Carlstrand; close cousin Stephen Nelson (Suzanne Engle); several sisters-in-law and brothers-in-law he gained from Mary Jo, and numerous nieces, nephews, and cousins on both sides. He is predeceased by his parents, as well as his brother-in-law, Bengt Carlstrand.

A very heartfelt thank you to the doctors, nurses, and staff in the CCU at U.W. Swedish American Heart Hospital. Without their kindness and guidance, the family could not have handled everything on their own.

Visitation will take place on Monday, December 15, 2025, from 10:00 a.m. until the time of Funeral Service, 11:00 a.m. at Fitzgerald Funeral Home & Crematory, 1860 S. Mulford Road, Rockford, Illinois 61108 with Father William Wentink officiating. Burial to follow at Calvary Catholic Cemetery in Winnebago, Illinois. In lieu of flowers, please consider memorials to be made to the family for them to distribute to several of Ozzie’s favorite charities. To send online condolences or share memories, please visit www.fitzgeraldfh.com