When 76-year-old Ed Nelson passed away last August after competing in the Dwight Crum Pier-to-Pier Swim, the South Bay lost an icon of the community.
Nelson was the patriarch of a lifeguard family, becoming a lifeguard in 1960 and manning a lifeguard tower until the summer of 2013.
After his passing, Nelson’s children Jennifer Shenbaum and Erik Nelson requested in lieu of flowers for Ed’s celebration of life, that donations be made to a GoFundMe account with the general description that they would do something to honor their father’s legacy for living such a healthy lifestyle.
Nelson taught physical education at the Adams Middle School in Redondo Beach from 1965-2001 (his entire tenure as a teacher) and it was decided an appropriate use of the donation would be to promote one of the fitness enthusiast’s deepest passions – cycling.
Twelve spin bikes were purchased with the $5000 Nelson Family donation honoring Ed Nelson who rode his bike to and from work whenever possible. A photo in the Adams 1979 yearbook of Nelson leaning against his bike while teaching PE. was enlarged to poster size and hangs in the Adams Fitness Center so students look at Nelson during their cardio workouts when riding the spin bikes.
Each bike has a sticker on it that reads: LIVE LIKE EDDIE. The stickers were made and passed out at Nelson’s memorial service.
Current Adams P.E. teacher Rick Crump took over Nelson’s position after the latter retired in 2001.
“He did leave me his P.E. jacket (that I still wear) and a small multi-purpose tool that fits on my school key chain,” Crump said. “I can’t tell you how many times I have used it.”
Crump feels the donation was well spent.
“The students love the bikes,” Crump said. “They learn the importance of cardio fitness and how it benefits everyday life. Ed Nelson lived life to the fullest right to the end.”
Crump and Nelson had a bond that went beyond the Adams campus..
“Like me, Ed was a triathlete,” Crump said. “Our paths would cross in the sport of triathlons. I would see Ed from time to time riding his bike on PCH near Malibu or riding in PV.”
Crump and his wife Connie are directors of the annual Redondo Beach Triathlon held each June.
“I tried to give Ed a free entry into the Redondo Beach Triathlon but he would not take it,” Crump recalled. “He said if he is going to race it he was going to pay for it.”
Although raised in Palos Verdes, both Jennifer and Erik felt very much a part of Adams Middle School, knowing how dedicated their father was to the school and how much it meant to him.
“Seeing the “’LIVE LIKE EDDIE’ stickers on the spin bikes and the amazing photo of dad leaning on his bike in the Adams’ fitness room showed us that we had made an impact on the Adams P.E. program for years to come.and that dad’s legacy of health and fitness will live on,” Shenbaum said.
