Nelson A. Briggs

Nelson A. Briggs, 79, formerly of Concord, MA died April 28, 2006 at the Elliot

Hospital in Manchester, NH, following a lengthy illness. He had lived in the Manchester area for 18 years.

Born in Medford, MA, January 16, 1927, he grew up in Boston's South End. Mr. Briggs was preceded in death by his father (Nelson Briggs), mother (Evalena Marple Briggs) and a sister (Evalena). He is survived by 3 daughters (Amariel Holz of Asheville, NC; Rebecca Daly of San Diego, CA; Diana G. Briggs of New Boston, NH), 2 sons (Jonathan Briggs of Alexandria, VA; Nathaniel Briggs, M.D. of Nashville, TN), 3 brothers (Winthrop Briggs of Punta Gorda, FL; Robert Briggs of Bridgewater, MA; Kenneth Briggs of Boron, CA), and three nieces (Tara, Lauren and Jessica).

Mr. Briggs attended Boston English High School. He served in the U.S. Marine Corps during WWII and later earned a B.A. in government and philosophy from Harvard College, with follow-on studies at the Harvard University Graduate School of Arts and Sciences and the University of Michigan.

Mr. Briggs served in management at the MITRE Corporation in Bedford, MA for nearly 30 years. During his tenure at MITRE, he attained national recognition in the field of technical writing and communications as an author of numerous articles, frequent symposium panelist, lecturer at colleges and universities throughout the country, and member of the Society for Technical Communication, which honored him as a fellow.

After retiring, Mr. Briggs entered the One Hundred Acres Monastery in New Boston, NH. Something of an "old China hand", he also returned to China, where he had served as a U.S. marine during WWII. There, he taught classes in conversational English, English grammar and American Studies at Beijing University.

Mr. Briggs often said he took greater personal satisfaction graduating from Parris Island (the Marine Corps boot camp) than he did from Harvard. He was enthusiastically active in Marine Corps functions and was quick to remind people that "there is no such thing as an ex-Marine." He was a Life Member of the First Marine Division Association, the China Marine Association and the Veterans of Foreign War. He was also very supportive of Manchester's Marine Expeditionary Brigade.

A funeral liturgy was held in the funeral home on Wednesday May 3, 2006. For more information visit www.lambertfuneralhome.com

In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made to the 1st Marine Division Association 410 Pier View Way

Oceanside, CA 92054 For more information visit www.1stmarinedivision.org