Harry E. Nelson

Harry E. Nelson

Harry E. Nelson was born on October 21, 1933 and passed away on April 13, 2025. Born in Brooklyn, New York, to Harry and Clara Nelson, Harry spent his early years in Jamaica, Queens and graduated from Concordia Prep in Bronxville, NY, in 1951. Harry attended Ursinus College before joining the U.S. Army where he served in Tokyo, Japan, with Army Intelligence. He returned to Ursinus where he met the love of his life, Irene. They were married shortly after graduation in 1958 and were blessed with three wonderful children.

Harry began his professional career as a teacher at the Devereux Schools, a psychiatric treatment center for children. After serving as a school principal, he joined the staff of the Vanguard School, a newly established program for students with dyslexia and learning disabilities.

In 1966 Harry was sent to Lake Wales, Florida, to start the Vanguard School Residential Program. With three children under 7, he and Irene travelled to Lake Wales and founded the program at Bonaire Lodge on Lake Pierce. The school grew rapidly, and in 1968, construction of the current site of the campus on US 27 began.

In 1969 he completed a Master’s degree in School Psychology at Temple University. In 1972 Harry was elected President of the Vanguard School, a Pennsylvania non-profit corporation with schools in Pennsylvania, Lake Wales, Ft. Lauderdale, and Coconut Grove, FL, and Fargo, ND. In 1983, with approval of the school’s trustees, he made each of the Florida Schools an independent Florida non-profit corporation. Harry remained President of the Vanguard School in Lake Wales until his retirement in 2004.

Harry dedicated his life to education. In 1974, he was elected President of the National Association of Private Schools for Exceptional Children. He was appointed by the Governor to the Florida State Advisory Committee for the Education of Exceptional Students and to the Florida State Steering Committee for Specific Language Disabilities. He served on the Board of the Florida Council of Independent Schools, the Florida Branch of the Orton Dyslexic Society (ODS), the Vanguard School of Montreal, Canada, All Saints Academy and the Lake Wales Country Club. In 1997 Harry was awarded the Sylvia O. Richardson Award by the Florida Branch of the ODS for outstanding and exemplary contribution to Learning Disabled and Dyslexic Individuals.

Harry was an avid golfer and played often at the Lake Wales Country Club. He and Irene also loved to travel throughout the world. He was a member of the Lake Wales Country Club and the First Presbyterian Church of Lake Wales.

Harry is preceded in death by his wife, Irene. He is survived by his children, Martha (Allan) Baitcher, Jennifer (Brian) Cummiskey, and Andy (Heidi) Nelson, six grandchildren Robyn (Geoff) Malcolm, Addison (Lindsey) Baitcher, Claire Cummiskey, Nelson Cummiskey, Jack Nelson, and Sam Nelson, and three great-grandchildren, Owyn Malcolm, Eleanor Malcolm, and Graham Malcolm.

A celebration of his life will be held Friday, May 2nd, at 2:00 pm at the First Presbyterian Church in Lake Wales. The family will receive visitors starting at 1:00 pm. Interment following at Lake Wales Memorial Gardens. Vanguard School held a special place in Harry’s heart and donations in his name can be made to the Vanguard School Foundation Empathy Fund.