Obituaries

Charles Hugh Neilson died peacefully Dec. 20, 2024, in Denver, Colorado, at the age of 89. Just a few hours before taking his last breath, he was in the presence of his three children, Hugh Neilson, Kristen Keller and Lisa Schlichtman, and with that last breath, he was reunited with his beloved wife of 61 years, Patricia Dougan Neilson.

Hugh was born July 25, 1935, in St. Louis, Missouri, to Dr. Arthur Wright Neilson and Janet Bulger Neilson, who preceded him in death. He was also preceded in death by his wife Pat; his brothers, Arthur Neilson, Dennie Neilson and Robert Neilson; and his sister Janet Neilson Wells.

He is survived by his brother, William Neilson; his daughters, Lisa Schlichtman and Kristen Keller and Kristen’s husband, Jason Keller, of Denver, Colorado; son Hugh Neilson, and wife, Tracey Neilson, of Fort Worth, Texas; six grandchildren, Nick Schlichtman and his wife, Kera Tucker, Ryan Schlichtman, Carrson Keller, Collin Keller, Griffin Neilson and Maci Neilson; two great-grandchildren, Mica and Willow Schlichtman; and many nieces and nephews.

Hugh loved his hometown of St. Louis, where he lived for 86 years before he and Pat moved to Denver to be closer to their daughters in early 2022. He attended Country Day School and graduated from there in 1953. He went on to attend Cornell University, where he was a member of the rowing crew and Phi Delta Theta, before a serious motorcycle accident cut his time there short. He moved back to St. Louis and enrolled at Washington University.

The bad luck of the accident proved fortuitous as he met Pat when he was a senior and she was a freshman at Wash U. For Hugh, it was love at first sight, and he often said he enrolled in Law School so he could stay close to Pat. He graduated with his juris doctorate, and the two were married June 24, 1961, and from that day forward, Pat truly became Hugh’s north star. The two were inseparable and shared a deep love that spanned six decades.

In his later years, Hugh loved to talk about some of his earliest jobs, which included working on a barge on the Mississippi River, when he was just 18, and stints as an insurance salesman and a job at McDonald-Douglas before he settled on his career as a salesman for Nationwide Paper Co. He retired in 1991 after almost 30 years with the company.

Hugh was a devoted husband and father. He and Pat, who raised their family in Clayton, were known for attending anything their children were involved in, from athletic events, to school plays, to high school proms where they often became the stars of the dance floor much to the chagrin of their teenage children. The Neilsons also enjoyed spending Sundays at the family farm in Eureka, which was the source of some of Hugh’s best memories — hikes, time spent playing in the creek and big family dinners with aunts, uncles and cousins.

In addition to their love for St. Louis, Pat and Hugh spent their summers in their other favorite place, the family cottage in Pentwater, Michigan, where Hugh introduced his children and grandchildren to his love for sailing. They were also active members of Second Presbyterian Church in St. Louis and were avid St. Louis Cardinal and St. Louis Rams fans.

A small family graveside service to honor Hugh’s memory is planned for 10:30 a.m. Feb. 1, 2025, at Bellefontaine Cemetery in St. Louis.