Dana L. Nelson
OBITUARY
Dana L. Nelson, 61, of Scranton, passed away May 9, 2026, at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania after a courageous health battle, having received a double lung transplant in 2019. He and his loving wife, the former Donna Ciero, shared 24 wonderful years of marriage.
Dana grew up in Fontana, California. He was the son of the late Floyd and Doris Henry Nelson. Coming from a family with a history of military service, Dana joined the United States Marine Corps shortly after graduating from Fontana High School. He loved his country and proudly served for eight years. He was stationed in Bahrain during Operation Desert Storm. Dana held various jobs after his discharge. He retired from Lockheed Martin, where he was an electronics inspector.
Dana loved to cook and was good at it. He was always trying new recipes and followed them to the T. His Christmas prime rib was something his family looked forward to each year. Dana also enjoyed trains, both big and small. He was most recently working on his N-scale train layout. Dana learned woodworking from his father, and he especially enjoyed woodturning. Many people have a bowl that he handcrafted. Fishing at the family’s cottage at Lake Sheridan in the early morning with a cup of coffee was his happy place in the summer.
Dana is survived by his daughter, Danielle Thompson (Anthony), and his grandchildren, Charissa, Haylee, and Ashton of Bellingham, Washington; siblings, Shelby Smarte (Gene), Diana Votruba (the late Robert), Kevin (Debbie), and Anita; nieces, nephews, great-nieces, and great-nephews located all across the country. He is also survived by his mother-in-law, Norma Ciero, and his brothers-in-law, Frank (Bonnie) and Keith (Melissa), and their children.
Dana’s wishes were to donate his body to Humanity Gifts Registry, an organization that coordinates whole-body donations for medical and dental education and research. He also donated his corneas to Gift of Life because we were blessed with seven plus years with him, thanks to a donor.
There will be no services. A Celebration of Dana’s Life will be held at the family’s convenience. Memorial contributions may be sent to 22ADAY.Org, 2164 Lakeview Drive, Ypsilanti, MI 48198, an organization dedicated to preventing veteran suicide.
Dana L. Nelson
May 9, 2026