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Florin Rex Nielsen, 89, died peacefully Sunday, November 29, 2020 at Serenity Transitional Care. He was born July 4 , 1931 in Hyde Park, Utah, the son of Rudger and Druzella Saunders Nielsen. Florin was preceded in death by his wife, Thelma Davis Nielsen, parents and brother, Robert Lynn Nielsen. Surviving are a daughter, Kathleen (Jan) Stewart, Twin Falls, ID; a son, F. Rex (Jenny) Nielsen, Hyde Park, UT; seven grandsons, and one great grandson.
Florin wrote his own obituary on July 4, 2011 in his favorite form, poetry.
Heralded at birth by cannons,
Loved deeply,
Teased unmercifully,
Painfully sensitive,
Slow and hesitant starter
Early to develop--slow to mature
Lived in awe of great caring
Cherished a family
Passed three childhoods
His own, joyfully painful
With his children, constantly learning
Accompanied by grandchildren, with softness
Lived painfully shy as an extrovert
Many acquaintances--very few friends
Revered words,
Notes and strokes placed artfully
Dreamed of acting
Lived for directing and letting go.
Dreamed of learning,
Lived for teaching
Intensely relaxed
Seeking an embodiment of oneness
Was not in a hurry--
Just lived life that way.
Life Sketch
Florin was born on the Fourth of July and was teased that he was an adult before the fireworks and cannons were not for his birthday celebration. His life was full of celebration and fireworks up to the end.
He was born and raised in Hyde Park, Utah with family members in all the surrounding homes and most of the town. He attended North Cache High School and has still kept touch with his classmates through the many years since. He served a mission for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints to the Netherlands, Belgium mission. He enjoyed speaking Dutch throughout his life and celebrated the holidays with a Dutch flare. He later attended Utah State University with an education and theater degree. He later continued his academic career at BYU with advanced degrees in education. This made it possible for him to continue in administrative positions later in his teaching career.
Florin married Thelma Davis June 13, 1956 in the Salt Lake LDS Temple. While Florin served in the U.S. Air Force they lived in San Antonio, and Houston, TX; Sacramento, CA, Tucson, AZ and moved to Salt Lake City in 1959. Their first child, Kathleen (Kathie) was born while they were in Tucson, Arizona.
Florin taught English, literature and theater at East High School, Salt Lake City, UT for 25 years. During this time he produced and directed many shows including his favorite, Shakespeare plays. Besides this very public expression of his art, he made life-long impacts one by one with countless students over these years, many of whom have kept in touch with him well beyond the halls of East High School. He truly enjoyed the individual relationship with his students which endeared him to so many.
He later worked in the Salt Lake School district office working with the arts programs as well as staff development. He presented training in Cognitive Coach and strategic planning across the country and acted as a consultant for many school systems.
Florin and Thelma purchased the Hansen Drama Shop in Salt Lake City where they sold theatrical play scripts, makeup and supplies to theaters and schools around the country. Florin and Thelma were well known in the theater community for many years.
Florin and Thelma enjoyed attending the Shakespearean Festival in Cedar City and were good friends with Fred Adams and his wife, Barbara. Florin had many dear friends from the Festival and enjoyed taking each of his grandsons on a special vacation to the theater over the years. Each of the grandsons have special memories of this one on one time with their grandfather.
Florin and Thelma also enjoyed season tickets to the ballet, symphony, and Pioneer Memorial Theater. They also enjoyed being in a ballroom dancing club. They were a beautiful couple on the dance floor, even in the powder blue tuxedo and jewels. Florin had a flare for the beautiful. He excelled in many things, especially knitting, poetry, painting, flower arranging and decorating. He was always the teacher even with mahjong, personal history writing, family history, and his beloved Men’s Group, and Rumi Poetry Club.
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Rick Douglas
You are and always were an extraordinary teacher, Mr. Nielsen, even though I never had the privilege of taking one of your classes. I'm surprised to admit I probably spent more time hanging out in your classroom than any during my three years (1969-71) at East High School. You transformed that large drama & theater education room into a warm and welcoming sanctuary for the coolest kids — popular or "outcasts" — to come and go as they wished, even if you had class in session just across the room. Commendably, you always made time for students on an individual basis.
Thank you for casting this total drama dimwit in a significant role in the Nov 1970 fall play (as “Grandpa Martin Vanderhof” in Kaufman & Hart’s 1938 "You Can't Take It With You"), though I had no prior experience of a theatrical nature. Yet, with your insightful coaching and succor I was able to bumble my way through that role on consecutive nights. (Thankfully, everyone really came to the play primarily to watch that darling, shy Anne Holding EHS’72, get her very first kiss ever from a boy, Forrest Fuller EHS’71 — THAT was some legendary drama! – see picture in lower right corner of Eastonia '71, p.165.)
Knowing we both served in the US Air Force, Mr. Nielsen, I was hoping to run into you again in later years to express my heart-felt thanks for the part you played in my life and swap "tall tales & war stories". Sadly, that encounter never happened before the final curtain call.
Arthur Bos
Florin motivated me to raise my goals and expand possibilites. Like Rick Davis, he gave me one on one help to encourage improvements in my verbal language and yes even a small part in a play which was beyond my expectations. Florin helped make my life a little better.
Terri Jacob (Trick)
Thank you, Mr. Nielsen, for helping a sophomre with a stutter and lacking self-confidence to turn into a true lifelong "drama freak." It was your speech class that taught me I could speak without a stammer, and that I really did have a flair for the dramatic. I owe my love of theatre and my acitvity in community theatre to this day to your outstanding teaching and coaching, and to your taking a personal interest in helping all your students find their voice.
I will miss you.
Terri Jacob Trick