Blessed and Highly Favored – RIP Dr. Marie NELSON

The Rotary Club of Nairobi and the world which Marie touched, join me in expressing our deep sorrow at this sad time as we say goodbye to our longtime friend and Rotarian, Dr. Marie Emma Nelson. Mari was a senior member of the Rotary Club of Nairobi and the President Elect; she joined the club in the late 1998.

She was passionate about Rotary and for a number of years she headed the World Understanding Day program, a day where the club hosts diplomats to educate them about Rotary work.  She was zealous about children and like a true general, she worked in our club annual project called Sleeping Children Around the World (SCAW). 

Mari was an educationist and a staff member of the University of Nairobi where many of you here today got to know her from and have come to pay their tributes. Earlier in her years in Kenya, Mari was the Kenya-based support and counselor to students who were preparing for education in the US.  She run a training Institute in Westlands that trained students in English as a second language.  In these roles, Mari was an ally to young people and popular in supporting those who were seeking good SAT score, good universities in the US and stable career afterwards.

She believed in the need for countries working more deliberately to build a generation of empowered young people, the power of numbers and the value of stories that turned those numbers into people.

She led the charge for an Africa-driven approach to developing our own talent and a project to read books for interactors and primary school pupils, mostly in under-privileged schools.

With a twinkle in her eyes and a dazzling 1,000 watts smile,  WHO COULD SAY NO to you Marie ? She believed in the power of ideas, and in the power of sharing those ideas. Who cant forget Christmas time in December 2017!  Mari led our club members to visit the Children’s Cancer ward at Kenyatta National Hospital!

In December 2017, Marie was elected as the club president for 2019-2020. Excited about the role she started training and preparing for her year as president. However, in October 2018, 10 months later, she resigned due to cancer relapse. I accepted to take up the role.

Marie never backed down from a good intellectual argument or passionate exchange.   She was a principled confidant to many, straight forward, honest and passionate in all her dealings with all people. One thing we should learn and emulate from Marie is she she never spoke ill about anyone.

Mari had a big heart, a hearty laugh, was very intelligent and a sharp-as-razor sense of humor that she used to encourage rather than intimidate. She fought valiantly against cancer which was in remission for several years until this relapse. 

Mari will always be missed by the Rotary Club of Nairobi, Rotary fraternity,  children she nurtured, students she taught and all who knew her, for her presence and contributions to Africa’s and Kenya’s intellectual and human capital development.

From President Jessica Kazina and members – Rotary Club of Nairobi