Walker James Nelson, whose wit and stoicism left an indelible mark on all that knew him, died on Monday morning following a yearslong struggle with depression. He was 19. 

Much loved and dearly missed, Walker was born on May 31, 2003 in Bozeman. He attended Longfellow Elementary School, Sacajawea Middle School, and graduated from Bozeman High School, Class of 2022.

Walker took an early interest in the arts and filled sketch pads with his drawings. He, his brother Beckett, and their friends staged epic nerf and airsoft battles throughout middle and high school, both outside and (to his mother’s dismay) inside the house. He was an avid Lego builder, toiling for hours alongside his brother to construct skylines of cities from around the world. They enjoyed riding bikes and playing video games together, extending the nerf competitions into the virtual domain. Walker escaped through reading and appreciated fierce chess competitions with his father and brother.

He took some of these hobbies on the road, attending summer camp in Wisconsin, and traveling with family to Idaho, Hawaii, Washington, Oregon, Georgia, and California - he most recently returned from a fall European adventure with friends.

He made annual trips to the Gulf Coast, visiting family in Alabama and Florida where he enjoyed time on the water, exploring coastal forts, and learning about a foreign southern culture. He was proud of his work at Town & Country and cherished that close-knit community.

Walker is survived by his dear brother, Beckett, his mother Heather Hume, his father Erik Nelson and step-mother Jonquil, his twin half-brothers, Buckley and Jonesy, all of Bozeman, as well as loving grandparents Bill and Marty Nelson, Tom and Laurie McGuane, and Chris and Noreen Hume, alongside dozens of aunts, uncles, cousins and many, many friends.

In lieu of flowers, the family asks that any who are able to make a donation to the Walker Nelson Memorial Fund, established to honor Walker’s life and contribute to causes that illuminate and pursue suicide prevention and mental health programs.

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