Pictured: Reverend Dean Nelson and his wife Julia
Reverend Dean Brode Nelson passed away on December 16, following a battle with stomach cancer. He was 55.
A University of Virginia graduate, Reverend Nelson served as chairman of the Frederick Douglass Foundation and the Douglass Leadership Institute, a nonprofit that “supports the strength of the Black family, sensible criminal justice reform, and economic and educational opportunity for all.”
Tributes for Reverend Nelson have poured in from across Virginia and the nation. “Rev. Dean Nelson lived a celebrated life. He impacted many people, including myself, in extraordinary ways. Dean spent his life living God’s will and delivering His message. While I will always miss him, I am comforted that he is spending Christmas in the company of our Lord,” Governor Glenn Youngkin posted.
Patrina and Steven Mosley, co-chairs of the Fairfax GOP Evangelical Outreach Team, hailed Reverend Nelson as “a friend, mentor, and father figure.” In a moving post, the couple recalled Reverend Nelson’s patience, kindness, and charity towards everyone he encountered. “Dean will be missed but never ever forgotten,” the Mosleys wrote. “We all can’t wait to see him again.”
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