John Eldred Nesset, 81, passed away peacefully on Dec. 20, 2021, at his home in Edina, Minn. He was a devoted father, grandfather, and friend. He leaves behind his daughter Brooke Nesset; son-in-law Lorenzo Bernasconi; granddaughter Isabella Bernasconi; his former wife Nordis Heyerdahl ‘64; her son Whitfield Fowler and wife Madika Bryant; and his siblings Nena Tull, David Nesset ‘67, Miriam Nesset ‘68, and Dan Nesset.
John was an award-winning artist and woodworker who won acclaim for his craftsmanship and singular designs. Widely featured in local and national publications, his work was commissioned by private collectors and by the Phipps Center for the Arts in Hudson, Wis.
John was born in Cando, N.D., in 1940, the eldest child of Eldred Nesset ‘36 and Arla (Gredvig) Nesset ‘39. His father was a Lutheran minister who moved his family across several small towns in the upper mid-west when John was a child. When he was six, his family moved to Stanwood, Wash., where they lived for four years. John often recalled how exploring the forests, mountains and ocean of the Northwest as a child ignited and inspired his life-long love of nature. In 1957, his family settled in Decorah, Iowa, after a few years in Orfordville and Baron, Wis.
He dropped out of high school after his junior year and went straight to Luther College. During summers while at Luther, he worked in the Forest Service in northwest Montana. Originally intending to go on to medical school, he had a change of heart while in Montana and turned towards literature, writing and art. He graduated in 1962 with a degree in English and Chemistry, and started writing stories in his free time, while serving in the Army Reserves and working as a meat cutter, a profession that supported him until his retirement from Kowalski's in 2019. He married in 1963, and became a father to Brooke in 1970.
In 1979, he made a cradle for his daughter's dolls, and discovered wood as a means of artistic expression. Building on the carpentry skills he learned growing up, he taught himself the art of fine woodworking using hand tools and Japanese joinery. As he developed his own distinctive style, he began to show his work at local shows, including the Northern Woods Exhibit where he won multiple awards including "Best of Show." During this time, he also began to receive commissions including one from the Phipps Center for the Arts in Hudson, Wis., for a bench entitled "I am Nature" after a quote from his favorite artist, Jackson Pollock.
Throughout his life, he was an avid outdoorsman, going on many camping adventures with loved ones. He was a devoted cyclist, often going on 100 mile rides through the Mississippi valley in southern Minnesota. He was also a passionate cook, and loved to make elaborate meals and feasts with all the trimmings. Trained as a violinist and French horn player, he also loved music and was known for delighting the neighbors with Beethoven or Wagner at full volume. Whether it was speed skating, cross-country skiing, photography, or making prosciutto hams, he pursued his passions with great enthusiasm and meticulous attention to detail.
A life-long admirer of science, John donated his body to the University of Minnesota Anatomy Bequest program. A memorial and private burial will be held in the summer.