Obituaries

On Thursday, July 11, 2024, David Oscar Nellemann, loving husband to Lynne Edeen O’Shea, proud father of Mark and Laura and grandfather to Laura’s children, Haley and Erik, was Born into Eternal Life a month short of being 91. With his parents, Oscar and Bernice nee Urbelis and two younger brothers, Richard and Robert (deceased), he grew up 25 miles from Chicago in East Chicago, Indiana. A field artillery officer during the Korean war, he was kidded by fellow soldiers about his birthplace: “East Chicago? there is no East Chicago.” As such a location would have been in Lake Michigan.

Well-versed in the design of computer-based management information systems, and a life-long advocate for financial best practices, his expertise was sought out by executives in both private and public sectors. “A force to be reckoned with” -David’s career included 5 years with the GAO-Government Accounting Office, reviewing and evaluating financial, logistics and communications systems in the Department of Defense, NASA-National Aeronautics and Space Administration, the State Department and AID -the Agency for International Development.

Prior to joining GAO, David’s 30 years working with colleagues in Chicago-based Andersen Worldwide and Andersen Consulting led him to the positions of Managing Partner for the Firm’s Industry Program and Managing Partner of its Manufacturing Industry Consulting Practice. He was a CPA (Certified Public Accountant), CGA (Certified Government Accountant) and CPM (Certified in Production and Inventory Management). A member of Pi Alpha Alpha, the national honor society in public administration, he earned his BS from Purdue University, MBA from Northwestern University and MPA in budgeting and public finance from George Washington University.

Giving back to others was clearly important to David. He taught in business schools for more than a decade at DePaul, Northwestern and Lake Forest universities. His thought leadership led to articles on cost management, financial reporting, enterprise planning and control systems. “Doing good and doing what’s right” –he contributed to dozens of charities from the Audubon Society to Meals on Wheels. A lover of theater and music, he enjoyed serving on the Board of Directors for Chicago’s Goodman Theater; as Treasurer of the Barrington chapter and then on the Executive Committee for the city’s Lyric Opera representing all chapters.

A member of St. Mark’s Anglican Church in Geneva, lL, his home library went from Bibles to books on Winston Churchill, J. Robert Oppenheimer, Stephen Hawking, Elon Musk; even the 970+ pages of her bibliography, My Name is Barbra. Music instruction and busts of his favorite composers or pianists lined the shelves alongside his well-used piano. He collected clocks, cameras, oriental rugs and paintings — typically autographed, as he traveled the world, by the artist.

In Concorde jets or Congressional testimony, from the Northern Lights to South Africa’s Cape of Good Hope, scuba diving in Pacific waters, teeing off at St. Andrews in Scotland, crossing America on Harley-Davidsons or piloting his Piper Cherokee, N3686W — the W called out as whiskey; David’s life has been an adventure. He’s been described as brave, athletic, authentic, gregarious, supportive, quick-witted, big hearted. Patriot. Philanthropist. Partner. Pilot. Professor. Piano player. Should a Legacy.com writer ask what hobby he liked most, and with his blue eyes twinkling, the answer would be flying. He has, indeed, flown high.

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