Obituary of Dale Philip Nielsen

Amherst - Dale P. Nielsen, 65, passed away unexpectedly on November 29, 2022 at his home. He was born on December 7, 1956 in Pittsburg, PA to Theodore L. and Joyce M. Nielsen of Holland, MI.

Dale moved to Amherst as a teenager and attended Amherst Regional High School. Following high school, he enlisted in the US Army, where he met his beloved wife, Janice. After being honorably discharged from the military, he furthered his education, receiving a bachelor's degree in 1982 from UMass Amherst, where he majored in computer science and minored in mathematics.

Dale was an owner of Avacoda, LLC of Amherst, where he was the senior systems administrator and software developer. His career included long stints as a systems administrator at Dataviews in Northampton, HBOC in Amherst, and Channing Bete Company in S. Deerfield. In 2004, he co-authored the book "Slamming Spam: A Guide for System Administrators".

Dale had many interests, an unquenchable thirst for knowledge, and a witty sense of humor. He loved to cook and was famous for his delicious, from-scratch meals and breads. He was an avid golfer, and played both kinds of golf: disc golf and ball golf. He was a fan of the Grateful Dead and Phish, but listened to a wide variety of music. He enjoyed watching Godzilla movies, Star Trek, anime, and anything time travel.

Dale will be deeply missed by his cherished wife of 45 years, Janice Nielsen, and his daughter, Crystal Nielsen, of Amherst. He was predeceased by his father, and is survived by his mother, sister Elizabeth (Jim) DeWilde, aunt Jean Lehman of Holland, MI, and uncle Glen (Meg) Nielsen of Madison, WI.

Celebrations of Dale’s life will be held in Amherst, MA and Holland, MI in the spring of 2023. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made in Dale's memory to the Amherst Survival Center, PO Box 9629, North Amherst, MA 01059.