Nilsson, Orrell-Ethlyn (nee Holman) Age 93 on April 18, 2017, Orrell-Ethelyn Nilsson, née Holman, reached the end of a long, loving life. Predeceased by her husband, Raymond Nilsson, she is survived by four children Kristina (Dean), Elsa (Chuck), Eric (Beth), Jenny (Garrison); 6 grandchildren Hillary, Erica, Linnea, Corydon, Byron and Maia; three great-grandchildren Annabelle, John, and Illiana; as well as by two special sons, Thuan and Long Van Tran, whom Orrell and her husband helped resettle in the U.S., and their beautiful families. Orrell is also survived by her only and older sibling, G. Bruce Holman, Jr. Born on March 1, 1924 in Carlstadt, NJ and reared in nearby Rutherford, Orrell attended Syracuse University for a year before transferring to the wartime (WWII) Curtiss-Wright Aeronautical Engineering Cadettes program at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, where, with fellow Cadettes she completed her degree in nine-months. She then went to work at the Curtiss-Wright plant in Caldwell, NJ, where she conducted stress analyses in the design of fighter plane propellers. After the war, she obtained her M.S. in social work from the U of MN, where she met her husband, Raymond. She worked at Children's Home Society, making home visits for adoptions. Years later, three of her grandchildren would arrive through that same agency. A life-long learner, Orrell was also a gifted teacher. For many years she taught piano in her home studio in Anoka, inspiring countless students with her love and understanding of music. To advance her own teaching skills, she studied piano pedagogy at the U of MN. After undergoing rigorous training at the Minneapolis Institute of Arts, she served as an engaging docent for visitors to the Institute. Orrell was a long-time leader of the Junior Great Books Program and for years served as a Sunday school teacher and children's choir director at Trinity Episcopal Church in Anoka, where she also served as the organist and for as many years, member of the vestry and delegate to Diocesan conventions. She was an active member of the League of Women Voters, The Philolectian Society, and Order of the Eastern Star; a dedicated fund-raiser for the American Red Cross; and a leader in the mission to build a community hospital (Mercy). Orrell loved to paint, dance, read, garden, ride horses, attend concerts, play the piano, paddle a canoe, visit shut-ins, correspond with far-flung family and friends, participate in numerous civic organizations, and engage in conversation with anyone, anytime, anywhere, but most of all, with her numberless friends and acquaintances. She cared deeply about her family, was devoted to her spouse to whom she was married for nearly 64 years, and gave in abundance to her children and her parents back in NJ, especially as the latter struggled in advanced age. The family thanks Friendship Home of Roseville, MN and all of Orrell's loving caregivers, who gave her comfort in her closing days. Services will be held at St. Christopher's Episcopal Church, Roseville, MN at 2:00 p. m., Monday, May 8, with visitation an hour beforehand. Designated memorials are the Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra; Pro Arte Chamber Orchestra; Minneapolis Institute of Arts; Trinity Episcopal Church; and Episcopal Relief and Development. Roseville Memorial Chapel 651-631-2727