Gunnar Nielsen

Gunnar Nielsen, 92 years of age, of Concord, passed away Saturday, September 30, 2017 at Brookdale Concord Parkway in Concord.

Mr. Nielsen was born November 16, 1924 in Pennsylvania to the late Ejnar Laurits Nielsen and the late Anna Sofie Sorensen.

Survivors include wife of 67 years, Inger K. Nielsen of Concord, NC, daughters, Brenda Nielsen and husband E. Glenn Parks, Jane Perkins and husband Gale, Sonja McCann and husband Robert, sons Peter Nielsen and wife Holly, James C. Nielsen and wife Pam. Gunnar loved spending time with his grandchildren Brian, Erik, Laura, Alyssa, and Hanne.

Gunnar was born near Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Early in life his family returned to their original home in Denmark. After graduating from engineering college, he returned to the United States. As a young engineer, Gunnar worked at Link Aviation in Binghamton, New York, designing flight simulators. He worked for IBM in Vestal and Owego, New York and eventually transferred to IBM in Charlotte, North Carolina. Early in his career he participated in the development of the original heart-lung bypass machine used during open heart surgery. He loved making everything from furniture to jewelry, being outdoors, and singing along to music.

Memorials may be made to The Elly Fund, PO Box 1154 Chapel Hill, North Carolina 27514. The Elly Fund sponsors the secondary education of teens in Kenya. One hundred percent of funds goes toward tuition.

Hartsell Funeral Home of Concord is serving the Nielsen family.

Online condolences may be made at www.hartsellfh.com