Loving Obituary for Erick Jayson Neilson. 

Erick Jayson Neilson of Tallahassee, Cocoa Beach, Miramar Beach, and Gainesville, Florida, passed on November 06, 2021. Erick was born on January 18, 1975.  We love you forever, Erick! Erick was a gifted academic, hard worker, and a nature and wildlife photographer who especially loved birds and marine life, yet loved so many other animals and wildlife too, (e.g; see a sweet photo of a little Dragonfly that Erick gently rescued perched on his finger). Even though Erick was quite bright and handsome with misty blue eyes from the start, he was always humble; as well as friendly, caring, and polite to others. He loved Nature and believed Creator was all around him when he experienced the beauty of nature like it was his church. He also believed in the Holy Spirit and the forgiveness of Christ, and Erick believed that no matter how good or bad things get in life we should always be kind. Erick was so brave and kindhearted that he would give the shirt off his back to help another, all the way to the end. Our beloved and gifted Erick lived an accomplished life before the pandemic got worse in 2020. His IQ was so high and his vocabulary so advanced even as a child that he was placed in a gifted children’s program, and when he and his brother got bullied by bigger kids at the bus stop, his mom worked overtime to get them into a private Montessori school (which Erick thrived in), to finish elementary school, and also let him get some sports training in martial arts classes as a child. Later, Erick went on to the gifted program at Sail High School, graduating with a High GPA in 1993, and Erick next went on to excel and graduate from FSU (in Management Information Systems & Business Management), all while working as a communications officer and 911 Operator at TPD since high school even though he did not need to but liked to work and wanted to at that time, and then did so all through college too. After graduating with a BSMIS degree from FSU (Class of 2004) he immediately started working at MRT (2004) where he worked for many years as an Executive Recruiter and then Sr. Account Manager at MRT all the way up until after the pandemic affected him and he lost most everything he worked so hard for. He joked that the Covid-19 pandemic came rolling in for him like a country song where the guy loses his wife, his home, his job, his Jeep (or truck), and even his dogs -- Because even in hard times, Erick still kept his sense of humor. Yet, Erick never stopped trying to lift himself back up or helping anyone he met along the way. That’s just how beautiful Erick's precious Soul is! He will be so dearly missed. 

What happened to Erick?
Our beloved Erick passed away at Tallahassee Memorial Hospital, with his mother, Aleta, by his side, there trying to donate a kidney and part of her liver to him, while comforting him with unconditional love. Unfortunately, Erick had been ill with PASC, (from Covid-19), Diabetes, and Psoriatic Arthritis, yet his kindness and illness had been taken advantage of and he was beaten and robbed several times before his death, and this time he had Sepsis, and then a large mass pressing on his colon was discovered and he was too weak to operate on as his organs had begun to fail and he still had sepsis. His mother hoped they could get him past the sepsis with antibiotics so she could donate her organs to him, so Erick and his mother did not give up hope while he still lived. Erick fought bravely for his life, knowing his mom who loves him so much was by his side, but tragically he had too much stacked against his health this time, and he passed away with internal bleeding and “multi-organ failure” before the sepsis could be cured. Erick went to heaven with his mom holding his hand (still hoping to help save him),  in the same hospital where he was born and where his mother had previously worked as a nurse in their happier days. If love could have saved our precious Erick, he would have lived forever. 

Before Erick Crossed the Veil: Before Erick passed, he was so glad he got a chance to remind his Mom how much he loved her and talk about all the happy memories of his Mom singing lullabies and songs for him and his brother, as well as his memories of the fun times in their youth, including riding to the beach with the T-Tops off over the St. George Island Bridge and the feeling of freedom they had, along with surfing, bike-riding, skateboarding, canoeing, kayaking, going out in nature; or just staying cozy at home with mom’s homemade cooking, arts, crafts, and studying or having friends over to watch movies or MTV music videos. Most of all, Erick remembered the good times of how cheerful and loving our home surrounded by Azaleas was and how friends were always welcome with open arms by his mom and him and his brother, Shaun, and their foster brother, John L... Erick touched his mother's heart so deeply by thanking her for being the one who gave him such unconditional love that no matter what anybody said or did he knew that love would never die. He was also grateful for the other teachers, good friends, and pets who had touched his life. Erick also enjoyed remembering about visiting his beloved grandparents in Killearn and getting to play with Rocky and Boots (family pets), or just playing in the pool with Grandpa’s Juke Box playing, and the fun family gatherings where we got to see his cousins. Erick also got a chance to give his Mom messages for his dear cousins and close friends before he passed. As he looked back on his life he remembered mostly joy, though he acknowledged that since the pandemic first hit, he had some of the most heartbreaking and hardest times of his life. He had experienced some nightmares at the hospital before his Mom arrived at the hospital to try to save and comfort him, and he was able to be comforted and reassured by her but some of the dreams and nightmares he did not get a chance to tell her yet. Of course, his Mom was hoping he could survive and had faith that if he could be saved, he would have a fresh start and his whole life ahead of him. They even talked about him going back to graduate school at university as his Mom did. They had not given up hope. Erick was so loved and he is still so loved as his Spirit is still alive like his brother’s spirit is and they are in heavenly peace now and perhaps if you love Erick too, you may just have another guardian angel-type spirit watching out for you if he can. When you think of brave, fun, bright, and kindhearted Erick, please remember him for the good!

If you know and loved Erick, for sincere condolences please contact Erick's closest next-of-kin, which is his mother, Aleta Neilson.

Next-of-Kin: Erick is survived by his loving mother, Aleta Neilson (Next of Kin). Erick was sadly preceded in death by his beloved younger brother, Artist, Shaun Michael Neilson Leonard (2003), who was sadly killed whilst about to travel back home after going to paint a mural in California. Erick Jayson Neilson is the greatly adored first son of Aleta Neilson, (Mother & Living Next of Kin) and the much-celebrated first grandchild of Dr. Thomas L. Neilson Ph.D. J.D. (Deceased 2013). 

 Family and Friends:  Besides his beloved mother Aleta (next-of-kin), Erick was survived by his ex and their doggies, (Scarlet and Ronin), Aunt Dyane, Uncle Tommy, and Aunt Jill and family, and his first cousins, dearest Summer Joy and her husband Ian and their children (Brantley, Taj & Cook), Autumn and her children (Briggs, Nelly & Juniper), Noah,  Mia, Uncle Kevin's children, cousins Alicia, Dannielle, Denise, Dawn, and Aleta's God-daughter, Aleja, and previous foster son John; and cousins Josh, Rebecca, Janet, Heidi, (and their children), of Florida, Aunt Ady, and cousin Jennifer (daughter of his mother’s cousin Sherry, and granddaughter of Great Aunt Margaret), and her children, and other extended families out west. 

Erick was also survived by his beautiful step-grandmother, Rabia, who adored Erick from the time he was a baby. Erick is also survived by dear friends, many of which he has had since his early youth, such as Justin, Sunshine, April, Wendy, Melanie, Tamara, Tanya, Matt, Rachel, Chris, Nici, Dawn, Shana, Tracy-Ann, Tai & Mark T., Mike, Angela, Todd, Jackson, Lucky B., & John B. and many more.  Surviving friends also include his newer friend Steve, as well as a homeless mystery man in a wheelchair (he worried about before he died), and of course all his co-workers of many years of working as an Executive Recruiter at MRT. 

Preceded in death: Erick was preceded in death by his father, and aforementioned grandfather Captain T.L. Neilson Ph.D., JD, USN, and his nature and bird-loving grandmother, Viola L. Neilson R.N. USA, both World War II Veterans.  Besides Erick’s aforementioned beloved younger brother Shaun, Erick was preceded in death by his younger cousins, Kirt, Caroline, Joe-Blake, and recently by his Uncle Charlie, and also his cousin's husband; the latter two dying of Covid-19, (which Erick was also exposed to there, but initially survived dying then, albeit sadly only to get post-COVID syndrome from it).  

If you know and loved precious Erick, for sincere condolences, please contact Erick's closest next-of-kin, Aleta Neilson.

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