Chad Thomas

Chad Thomas Nelson Endowment Fund

BYU-Idaho, formerly Ricks College, is where Mike & Sandy met in 1988. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints is the university’s sponsoring organization and donations are made through their Philanthropies department. Chad attended BYU-Idaho 2021-2022. The endowment will award scholarships for students with financial need.

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Chad Thomas Nelson

April 27, 2002 - January 24, 2024

Chad Thomas Nelson is the fifth child of Sandy Nelson, a beloved member of the HOALiving family. Chad passed away suddenly on January 24, 2024, in a tragic auto accident in Idaho Falls. He was only 21 years old and is profoundly missed by his family and all who knew him.

Chad was born on April 27, 2002 at his parents' home in Laurel, Montana. He loved life and all of God’s creations in the world. He could always be found outdoors with his best friends whether they were ducks (Willow), chickens, squirrels (Rocky), baby bunnies, cats, or dogs. As he got older, he discovered his next loves - snowboarding, rock climbing, hiking, camping, fishing, gymnastics, baseball, long boarding, playing pool and poker, biking and body building. In 2017, he earned his Eagle Scout award. He also took his first trip to the west coast and ran in the Spartan race in Oregon.

He was homeschooled until his senior year when he attended the Lincoln Center for Adult Education and earned his GED in the spring of 2019. He spent some time in the plumbing industry and then deciding that wasn’t for him, went to BYU-I in 2021 for a year. He was not a big fan of traditional education but loved learning and constantly amazed his family with the wealth of knowledge in his brain. He was also a great listener. If you were talking to Chad, you knew in that moment, there was nothing in the world more important to him than your conversation. Everyone loved Chad.

In 2022, he started working at Taco Bell in Rexburg, Idaho, and because of his great work ethic was quickly promoted to store manager – being the youngest GM in the whole northwest region at the age of 21.

He worked hard and played hard. He loved his family, his friends, his coworkers, and his life, and in 2023 discovered the greatest love of his life, Miriam Nielsen. Chad and Miriam had plans to marry in the fall of 2024. She, as well as his family, are devastated by the loss of this young, loving, sensitive, kind, caring soul who was too good for this world and will be forever missed and loved.