Knoxville - KNOXVILLE - Nelson Herbert McLaughlin, 63, died unexpectedly August 28, 2014 at his Knoxville, TN home. He was born in Island Falls, ME, June 27, 1951, the son of Eugene and Claudette (Roy) McLaughlin.

Nelson graduated from Brewer High School in the class of 1970. He was an Army veteran serving from 1971-1977 in Company C 122nd Signal Battalion in South Korea. He proudly served with the Green Beret Unit of the US Army Special Forces. After the Army, he worked on the Bangor Air National Guard Base as a Building Superintendent for the Civil Engineer Department. His most rewarding job was working with the Families And Children Together (FACT) Agency in Bangor, ME, where he and his wife became foster parents for 11 years. He became very active in the Foster Care community as an educator and mentor.

Nelson was a member of the VFW and Rolling Thunder. One of his proudest moments was riding in Washington, DC with his fellow Veterans. He enjoyed riding his Harley Davidson and exploring the country by RV with his wife and their loving dogs, Krissy and Tanner. He had a wonderful sense of humor in any situation and was always one to tell a good joke. He will be remembered as a loving and loyal husband, father and grandfather.

Nelson is survived by his wife of 42 years, Cheryll (Clark) McLaughlin, mother, Claudette (Roy) McLaughlin of Bangor, daughter and her husband, Noel and Alex Taylor of Andover, MA, son, Noah McLaughlin of South Berwick, ME, the joys of his life, his three grandchildren, Natalie, Jack and Anna Taylor of Andover, MA, mother and father-in-law, Dorothy and Charles (Bill) Clark of Brewer, ME, sister-in-law and brother-in-law, Barbara and Ron Carlow of Hermon, ME, and several nieces, nephews, aunts, uncles, and cousins. He was predeceased by his father, Eugene McLaughlin, a son, Nelson McLaughlin, Jr, a grandson, Samuel Taylor, and his two brothers, Nathan and William McLaughlin.