Nelson Gray Crandall

Mr. Nelson Crandall of Washington, N.C. entered into eternal rest on November 6, 2022.

On Sunday November 6, 2022, at approximately 3:50 a.m., Nelson Gray Crandall passed away at the age of 73. Nelson was born on June 3, 1949, to Forrest Nazareth Crandall and Mary Frances Clark Crandall. Nelson was the 9th child of their 10 children and the youngest son.

He was granted the nickname “Brother” or “Bro” by his mother, and he was affectionately known to family as Bro or Uncle Bro. He was the finest legend in his teenage days who also assumed the nickname of “Baby Love.” Anybody who knew Bro knew his most famous quote, “like actually”, you better look out for Bro to express his point of view on any topic.

Nelson was a 1967 graduate of Belhaven High School. Upon graduation he moved to Brooklyn, N.Y. with family to better himself. He worked a series of jobs, and he briefly went to culinary school. In early 1968, he got a job in a Manhattan hotel as a cook.

In mid-1969 during the Vietnam era, Nelson enlisted in the U.S. Air Force as a personal supply specialist and was stationed in Lackland, Texas and Wilmington, Delaware. In 1971, he was honorably discharged. He landed a job with the U.S. Post Office where he worked as a mail handler.

He met Linda Green that year and through this union produced his oldest son Xavier Crandell who was born in 1972. In 1974, he met Dena Fletcher and through this union his youngest son, Jeremiah Fletcher, was born in 1975.

In 1976, Nelson left the post office to become a New York City Traffic Cop and worked with that department until 1984. He loved New York but he decided to make a change and he moved back to North Carolina to be with his mother in the late 1980’s.

If you knew Uncle Bro as his nephews and nieces called him, you knew that he was a comical spirit that loved a good joke in a family full of comedians. He was comical as they come, he may have stuttered but he always made his point valid.

Nelson was one of the greatest TV watchers around. He could literally watch the color out of a TV. He knew programs so well he could have gotten top dollar from the Nielson ratings to watch programs.

Brother did things his way. Just like the Frank Sinatra song. He was not perfect, but Uncle Bro was not phony or fake, he was himself.

BabyLove loved pretty women, good food, good times, nice cars, and he had a unique sense of fashion (he loved to dress). He was an avid lover of life until his health started to fail.

Uncle Bro also loved to watch sports which included wrestling, boxing, basketball, and football. He would argue with anyone that wrestling was real and not fake. Nelson was a staunch Democrat. He kept up with what is going on in politics through MSNBC.

Nelson’s favorite hobby, like I previously stated, was watching T.V. especially game shows. And always dreamed to one day to be on Wheel of Fortune, Family Feud and The Price is right, but he loved good music. He did not care if it was old or new. If it sounded good to him, he would acknowledge it. He came up in that Motown era and he loved the Motown sound. Anybody that knew him on a personal basis knew that his favorite singers were Sam Cooke, Marvin Gaye, and Al Green. He also loved the Temptations, Aretha Franklin, and Diana Ross and the Supremes. He loved good music with soul.

Nelson is preceded in death by his father Forrest and his mother, Mary Frances; sisters: Verlie Mae Swindell, Havel Ore, Inez Crandall, and Joyce Johnson. He is survived by two sons: Xavier Crandell (Tania) of Buford, GA and Jeremiah Fletcher of Washington, DC; Brothers: William Crandall Sr. (Arizona) of Atlanta, GA, and Edward Crandall; Sisters: Rena G. Spearman, Mary E. Crandall Bullock, and Faye Crandall; Seven Grandchildren: Dominique Crandall (Queens, NY), Imani Crandall, and Xavier Crandall Jr. (Columbia, SC), Imani Crandall, Christian Crandall (Buford, GA). Deena Fletcher, Meniya Fletcher (Washington, DC). Special friend: Lela Denise Simpkins, and several nephews, nieces, and cousins.

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