Maxine Sharon Anne Nelson
Maxine Sharon Anne Brown Nelson renowned by her family as Maca (pronounced Macka) and friends as Max, was born on June 10th, 1953 in Kingston, Jamaica to Audley Brown Sr, a Police Inspector, and Marie (formerly McKenzie), an elementary school teacher. Maxine attended Jones Town Elementary School, Merl Grove High, and later Alpha Academy High School, where she honed her skills in mathematics, English language, and sciences, biology being her favorite. She graduated in 1971, and subsequently completed her post-secondary education at Duff’s Business College, where he studied business administration. Upon graduating, she landed her first job at the Jamaica National Stadium, working directly for the director of sporting activities. She felt un-challenged by this role and later found what she believed was her dream assignment as a programming scheduler.
Maxine Nelson Celebration of Life April 5, 2025
Maxine Sharon Anne Nelson
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At the Jamaica Broadcasting Corporation (JBC), which at the time, was the island’s only television station. It was while she worked at the JBC, that Max first met her new love and future husband, Garth Nelson, who was introduced to her by a lifelong friend/sister. Maxine and Garth got married in New York City, in November of 1975, after the culmination of a two-year courtship. Her spouse had joined the US Air Force, which became their gateway to the world during his rewarding 23-year career as an aviation and electronic intelligence, and engineering specialist. Their union produced four children, Garth Jr., Monique, Gary, and Garvic. All but Garvic still reside in San Antonio, Texas, where they settled in 1985, after returning from an assignment in the United Kingdom.
In spite of her early employment successes, Maxine’s dream was always to become a registered nurse. She realized that dream upon graduation from the challenging San Antonio College Nursing Program in the summer of 1995. She garnered some superb nursing skills in her first assignment at Baptist Downtown Medical Center, where she endured what she described as a tough preceptorship. After a series of rewarding assignments with Baptist Southeast and Vitas Hospice, she accepted an assignment as a RN with the US Air Force, Wilford Hall Med Center, and later transferred to the US Army San Antonio Military Med Center (SAMMC), after the Air Force facility was closed by congressional mandate. Maxine retired from SAMMC in 2018 after 10 years of Federal service, and returned to Vitas Hospice briefly, before retiring permanently from nursing in 2020, with 25 distinguished years as a registered nurse.
In her final years, she savored in her triumphs and successes in media broadcasting and nursing, and turned to travel, which was her second love, until her illness interrupted her plans. Maxine leaves behind an indelible legacy of faith, love, charity, and devout Christian commitment. She now sits proudly at the right hand of her heavenly father, in fellowship with her Lord and savior, who received her with open arms. Her physical presence, powered by her contagious persona and radiant smile, will be sorely missed by her loving family and friends, but her indomitable spirit will live on forever. We fill never say farewell, instead it’s until we meet again!
She constantly memorialized her only brother Audley, and parents, Audley Sr. and Marie Brown, who pre-deceased her; and dedicated herself to her four grandchildren in whom she delighted. Maxine leaves behind Garth Sr., her spouse of 49 years, four children, Garth Jr. aged 48, Monique aged 44, Gary aged 42, and Garvic aged 32; four grandchildren, Jacqueline aged 26, Sarai aged 5, Philip aged 5, and Jazmyn aged 2; and her beloved only sister Grace Cole. Additionally, she leaves her mother-in-law, eight brothers in law, three sisters in law, and an army of loving cousins, nieces and nephews, too numerable to mention, across the continental United States, United Kingdom, The Dominion of Canada, The Bahamas, and last but not least her beautiful Jamaica, where most of her venerated, extended family still resides. She also delighted in the multitudes of colleagues, close friends, and acquaintances from her professional and personal alliances, who have filled her life throughout the years. Worthy of special mention are her Christian family which she built, since her total commitment to her Lord and savior. This includes her City Church family, and her spiritual group who convened regularly at the YMCA in Northwestern San Antonio. In short, “she done good”, a phrase reserved for only the best
