NASH, Robert Nelson, of Birmingham, beloved husband of Mary Edwards (Williams) Nash, passed away as a result of complications from heart disease on Wednesday, March 27, 2019 at the age of 88.
Nelson was the son of the late Jewel Young Nash, Sr. and the late Sarah Annette Whittaker Nash. He was born March 15, 1931, in Greene County, GA. Nelson grew up in Athens, GA, and graduated from the University of Georgia with a B.S. in Forestry in 1952. Nelson served two years in the U.S. Air Force (1952-1954) as an aerial photo interpreter with Strategic Air Command at March Air Force Base in California. He and Mary moved to North Carolina where he worked in forestry as a private consultant for nine years. While there, he joined the North Carolina Army National Guard as a fixed-wing pilot after attending Army Aviation School. He went on to earn Master Aviator Wings during his thirty years of military service.
In 1963, he moved the family to Birmingham, to continue his work as a forestry consultant. One year later, he made a career change and entered the life insurance business.
During his more than 35 years experience as a Life Insurance Agent, Nelson worked with The Equitable Life Assurance Society of the U.S. and with Guardian. Recognized for his high achievements, Nelson was inducted as a Hall of Fame Member by Equitable, a Chartered Life Underwriter, and Life Member of the Million Dollar Round Table. In 2000 he wrote a book, Becoming Your Own Banker, which would go on to have an impact on hundreds of thousands of people by teaching them how to create their own banking systems using dividend-paying whole life insurance. This book evolved into the Infinite Banking Concept, and Nelson enjoyed traveling all over the U.S. and Canada to lecture on the topic as the founding director of the Nelson Nash Institute. He is also the author of Building Your Warehouse of Wealth and co-author of The Case for IBC.
Nelson was a member of the First Baptist Church of Birmingham for 28 years. He had a lifelong passion for music and was a long-term choir member and frequent vocal soloist.
He was a voracious reader, and he especially enjoyed studying Austrian economics and history.
He also enjoyed aviation and travel, often piloting his family to destinations around North America in small aircraft.
Nelson is survived by his loving wife of 66 years, Mary, and his three children: Debby Nash Mathews (Jake, Jr.), Anniston, AL, Dr. Barrington Nelson Nash (Claudia), Knoxville, TN, and Kimberly Nash Stearns (David), Birmingham. He is also survived by his ten grandchildren and nine great-grandchildren.
A funeral service will be held at the First Baptist Church of Birmingham, 2209 Lakeshore Drive, Birmingham, AL 35209, on Saturday, March 30 at 11 a.m. Visitation will begin at 9:30 a.m. In lieu of flowers, donations in Nelson’s memory may be made to First Baptist Church of Birmingham.