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William “Bill” Nelson served as a CSDA Board Member from 2011 to 2020 and was elected President of CSDA in 2016. Sadly, he passed away on January 14, 2022 at the age of 83.

Mr. Nelson was dedicated to serving the public holding numerous elected and appointed positions including that as Trustee on the Orange County Cemetery District Board of Directors for 18 years where he was selected by his peers to also serve as Chair of the Board numerous times. As Chair, he was instrumental in the District being recognized and earning the District of Distinction Accreditation and District Transparency Certificate of Excellence from the Special District Leadership Foundation.

“Bill was a big part of the District family as a Trustee since 2003,” said Tim Deutsch, CSDM, General Manager at the District. “He had been elected Board Chair by his peers five times and served as the District’s Finance & Investment Committee Chair through his tenure with the District.  He poured his heart into all that he did. We will all miss Bill immensely”.

At CSDA, Bill took great pride in representing his district as well as all districts in the Southern Network. And…he was really good at it, never hesitating to ask the tough questions to ensure the interests of his constituents and peers were well represented.

“Bill brought so much to the table, but his passion was clearly in the area of finance and, during his tenure, he led numerous efforts to reshape policy, budgets, and investments at CSDA to ensure the organization was in the best financial shape to serve its members over the long-term,” said Neil McCormick, CSDA CEO. “He was well respected by his fellow board members as well as all of the staff. Bill always took time to listen and understand different perspectives while at the same time offering his expertise to bring forward prudent, practical solutions.”

In addition to his work at CSDA and the Orange County Cemetery District, Bill’s commitment to service and community shined through as he further dedicated his time and experience to the following organizations among many others:

• Orange County Mosquito & Vector Control District: Trustee 2016-2022
• City of Villa Park: Council Member & Mayor (2017) 2014-2022
• Institute for Local Government: Board Member 2016-2018
• CA Association of Public Cemeteries: Board Member 2008-2016
  • Presidential Service Award (2012)
  • Cemeterian of the Year (2014)
• City of Villa Park Investment Advisory Committee 2008-2014
• Villa Park Community Services Foundation: Treasurer 2010-2014
• California Association of Realtors: Board Member 2004-2012
• Orange County Grand Jurors Association: Board Member 2005-2011

We will miss Bill Nelson greatly….many will miss him for so many reasons. However, we will also cherish, remember, and benefit from his contributions to CSDA, special districts, and all others listed above because he simply made them and us better. Every community would be lucky to have someone like Bill in it.