Dr. Nelson Post
Some where over the net a few lines were left out on the Dr Nelson post I submitted. I am going to try again. The family and Jack has been in contact and asked if it could be corrected.
I also have a few photos I would like to send along.
LHS's First Principal
A Professional/Personal bio for Robert "Bob" "Doc" "Big Red" "Red Dog" Robert E.Nelson. Doc was born November 11, 1927 near Asheville, NC. He grew up exploring every nook and cranny of the Western Carolina Appalachian mountains. He was an avid outdoorsman, being a master of the fly rod, and a cracker jack shot with an old Savage 300 rifle. He was as much at home in the woods and on the rivers and streams as most people are in their local Walmart!
Doc's degrees were an undergraduate degree in Math and Industrial Arts from UNC Cullowhee; a Masters of Education from UNC in 1958; a PhD from UNC in 1961; and an additional 2 year post doctoral work in Educational Administration was completed in 1963, also from UNC. You might suspect, and rightly so, that he was a Tarheels fan.
.
He was awarded the first Principal's position at the newly built Lakeside High School in 1965-1967. We already know about those three years! I'm sure there are many stories about Doc and his tenure at LHS floating around as he had such a strong presence everywhere he went. He never knew a stranger. Missing the foothills, he left with the first graduating class in 1967. He purchased 30 acres of mountaintop where he built a beautiful home and raised his family near Cleveland, GA. He became the Director of the Ninth District CESA Unit, a multi-county, multi-school agency handling all technology and repairs within the District. He eventually taught math at Hall County High School, receiving the Star Teacher award, and developing a consumer math program focusing on real life things like balancing checkbooks and analyzing mortgages, and stayed there until he retired. After that, it was fishing and traveling for the next 3 decades.
On a more personal note, Doc and Billie L. Gandy, a Forsan, Texas girl, were married 60 years from 1954 until Billie's death. Quite a testament for both of them in this day and age. After a valiant battle with cancer, Billie died on September 25, 2014. Doc never fully recovered from her passing and died September 12, 2015 literally from a broken heart. He lost the love of his life and his will to live simultaneously, but limped on without her for about a year.
Military life. Doc joined the Navy during WWII, and served from September 11, 1945 through August 17, 1946. Amazing because he wasn't quite 18 years old when he joined! He said he lied about his age in order to join in a patriotic fervor, but was happy to leave when the war was over. While in the Air Force during the Korean War Doc flew F-84's. His fighter pilot name was "Red Dog". He trained at Webb, Barstow and Luke Air Force Bases, 1953-1954, and was then sent to England (the reason Doc and Billie were married in December, 1954 -- so Billie could accompany him to England).
Bob and Billie had four children. Rebecca, also an avid fly fisher and past pilot, lives in Fairhope, AL, and Red Lodge, MT. Melanie lives in Spartanburg, SC and has two children. Son Britt, lives in Fairbanks, Alaska and has the life Bob always wanted – fishing and hunting grizzly. And Mark, who has the other two grandchildren, lives in Fairbanks during the Fall and Winter (hunting season) and Oxnard, California during the Spring & Summer. Rebecca and the "boys" have all followed in their Dad's footsteps and taken advantage of all that the outdoors have to offer.
Doc was a great man and a great friend! He turned my life totally around. I'm sure there are many more who can say he significantly changed their lives too. He was my Hero.
Penned by Jack Flanders
LHS Class of 1967
A cute story about Doc. Told by Rebecca.
"A story? There are so many! A good one stating priorities is as follows. A friend was fly fishing for the first time and receiving guidance from Dad. Dad had warned him about the current, but being a rookie he just had to go that extra 2 inches, "because he couldn't cast worth a damn" according to Doc. Well, that was all it took...he was swept away down the river. Just when he thought he might die he sees Dad down below him wading in and stretching out a hand. As they passed within inches of each other the guy mentally gave a sigh of relief at being rescued. However, Dad merely snatched the new rod and reel he'd lent the guy from his hand, and let the guy tumble on down the river. Obviously, the guy lived, but the lesson is a good one. (1) Dad always warned of danger, and you ignored it at your own peril, and (2) fishing gear is more important than life.
Please reply to me Andrew Hombre @ Hombre52@gmail.com and let me know how I can send photos.
Thank you and I am looking forward to see the whole story,
Andrew
LHS First Principal Dr Robert E. Nelson "Big Red" RIP
By: JACK FLANDERS
Lakeside High School Class of 1967
jacksonfl@embarqmail.com
LHS's First Principal
A Professional/Personal bio for Robert "Bob" "Doc" "Big Red" "Red Dog" Robert E.Nelson. Doc was born November 11, 1927 near Asheville, NC. He grew up exploring every nook and cranny of the Western Carolina Appalachian mountains. He was an avid outdoorsman, being a master of the fly rod, and a cracker jack shot with an old Savage 300 rifle. He was as much at home in the woods and on the rivers and streams as most people are in their local Walmart!
Doc's degrees were an undergraduate degree in Math and Industrial Arts from UNC Cullowhee; a Masters of Education from UNC in 1958; a PhD from UNC in 1961; and an additional 2 year post doctoral work in Educational Administration was completed in 1963, also from UNC. You might suspect, and rightly so, that he was a Tarheels fan.
.
He was awarded the first Principal's position at the newly built Lakeside High School in 1965-1967. We already know about those three years! I'm sure there are many stories about Doc and his tenure at LHS floating around as he had such a strong presence everywhere he went. He never knew a stranger. Missing the foothills, he left with the first graduating class in 1967. He purchased 30 acres of mountaintop where he built a beautiful home and raised his family near Cleveland, GA. He became the Director of the Ninth District CESA Unit, a multi-county, multi-school agency handling all technology and repairs within the District. He eventually taught math at Hall County High School, receiving the Star Teacher award, and developing a consumer math program focusing on real life things like balancing checkbooks and analyzing mortgages, and stayed there until he retired. After that, it was fishing and traveling for the next 3 decades.
On a more personal note, Doc and Billie L. Gandy, a Forsan, Texas girl, were married 60 years from 1954 until Billie's death. Quite a testament for both of them in this day and age. After a valiant battle with cancer, Billie died on September 25, 2014. Doc never fulland past pilot, lives in Fairhope, AL, and Red Lodge, MT. Melanie lives in Spartanburg, SC and has two children. Son Britt, lives in Fairbanks, Alaska and has the life Bob always wanted – fishing and hunting grizzly. And Mark, who has the other two grandchildren, lives in Fairbanks during the Fall and Winter (hunting season) and Oxnard, California during the Spring & Summer. Rebecca and the "boys" have all followed in their Dad's footsteps and taken advantage of all that the outdoors have to offer.
Doc was a great man and a great friend! He turned my life totally around. I'm sure there are many more who can say he significantly changed their lives too. He was my Hero.
Penned by Jack Flanders
LHS Class of 1967
Ms. Brady
Dr. Evelyn Brady, a former Spanish teacher and department chair at LHS for well over 25 years has passed away. Dr. Brady became the county's World Language Coordinator when she left Lakeside.
Dr. Brady was well known and beloved by all of us who were at LHS in the 60's, 70's, 80's, and 90's when she was a LHS teacher, a cheerleader coach, a basketball fan, and a big sister and mother to hundreds and hundreds of students. Many of her students are now parents of LHS students.
Dr. Brady had been battling cancer since her retirement from the Dekalb School System about 5 years ago. Her body has been donated to Emory University and memorial details are pending.
Our thoughts and prayers go out to her family and friends.
posted October 13th, 2008
