Shawn Allen Nelson

Shawn Nelson was born on April 18, 1966, in Menominee, Michigan, to Jerry and Julie Nelson, and passed away peacefully at home on April 18, 2026 - his 60th birthday.

Shawn and his family lived in many locations throughout the Midwest before eventually settling in Des Moines, Iowa. He was one of four children and was known from an early age for his mischievous nature and dare-devil approach to life. Shawn loved swimming, boating, biking, four-wheeling, spending time with his dog, and especially with his many friends.

He graduated from East High School in Des Moines and later earned a degree in Construction Engineering from Northeast Missouri State University. Upon graduating during a challenging job market for construction, Shawn began working in safety – a field that became his lifelong career. He started with OSHA in Des Moines before taking a leap of faith and relocating to the East Coast. There, he worked in New Jersey for Lockheed Martin, Martin Marietta, and General Electric. Shawn later returned to Iowa, where he spent more than 20 years working at Ames Laboratory at Iowa State University, followed by a short time at Turner Construction before retiring. Shawn often joked about his career by saying, “Safety is overrated, but it pays well!”

In 1999, Shawn - who liked to kid that he was a long-time bachelor - married his wife, Diane. They shared 26 wonderful years together, raising their daughter, Kate Armstrong, and building a home and family in Ankeny, Iowa. Shawn spent countless hours working on construction projects for their home, as well as for friends and neighbors, using skills he learned from his brothers over the years.

Later in life, Shawn found a passion and a close-knit community in running and triathlons. An accomplished swimmer, he thrived in the sport and completed three Ironman Triathlons. While he loved the challenge of competition, he valued the friendships even more. Eventually retiring from racing, Shawn remained deeply involved by cheering on others and offering guidance and encouragement.

Shawn was a gregarious, generous person who loved his family and friends deeply. He had a special passion for animals, especially his dogs, Bo and Hugo. Shawn will be profoundly missed by all who knew and loved him.

Left to cherished his memory is his wife, Diane; daughter, Kate Armstong; brothers, Kevin (Kim) Nelson and Brian (Kim) Nelson; sister, Jennifer (Rob) Julander; nieces and nephews, Shea (Nicole) Nelson, Maddie (Alex) Sible, Madison (Cody) Graeve, Megan (Ben) Brown Jake (Kaitlyn) Nelson, Kayli (Josh) Stumpf, Taylor (Marty) Osmundson, and Chelsey Julander; mother-in-law, Carol Tweeten; brothers-in-law, David (Linda Farrario) Tweeten, Doug (Carol) Tweeten, Dick (Lonna) Tweeten, and Duane (Andrea) Tweeten; and many additional nieces and nephews, including Kris (Maye) Ferrario, Adam (Kat) Ferrario, Danielle (Seth) Tompkins, Ryan (Jenna) Tweeten, Drew (Ashley Knudson) Tweeten, Luke (Emilee Benedict) Tweeten, Jake (Mary) Tweeten, April (Alex) McCormick-Quinlain, Jessica (Erik) Vaage, Matthew (Tayah) Tweeten, Micah (Kelly) Tweeten, Caleb (Alexandra) Tweeten, Jadyn (Justin) Evenhouse, Hannah Tweeten, Kendall Tweeten, and Zoe Tweeten; and many great nieces and nephews. Shawn is also survived by his aunt, Dawn Kiefer; and cousins, Mike (Tracy) Kiefer, Paul (Terri) Kiefer, and Ryan (Megan) Kiefer.

Shawn was preceded in death by his parents, Jerry and Julie Nelson; and his father-in-law, Wallace Tweeten.

In lieu of a memorial service, a Celebration of Life honoring Shawn will be held at Big Grove Brewery, in the Crescent Room, 555 17th Street, Des Moines, IA on Saturday, May 16th from 1-4 pm.

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