George Douglas Nelms

Jimmy Buffet and the island lifestyle always had a big attraction for George Nelms. A favorite quote contained these words, "I can't change the direction of the wind, but I can adjust my sails to always reach my destination". That would come to be a great defining truism for George. George's life began in Franklin, Georgia. He was born on November 21, 1952, to the late Rufus Dovard and Clara Mae Ellis Nelms. He was the third of the four sons and a daughter born to the family. In addition to his parents, he was preceded in death by his brother David Keith Nelms. The availability of work and the fact that George's father lacked much education brought them to Newnan where Mr. Nelms found work as a truck driver. George graduated high school and ventured out to pursue life. He had a desire to join the military but was disqualified because of a vision issue in one eye. This also limited his choice of jobs. Along came Mr. Ken Lowery, who was recruiting workers for Coweta General Hospital. Lowery assured him that he would help him carve out a place for him within the hospital staff. George would pursue the education to become a respiratory therapist and successfully be a favorite with hospital doctors because of his great memory for their specific treatment protocols. Even after his retirement, he could still recall those instructions in detail. For all the years that George worked at the hospital, his fellow employees were just like one big family (sometime good and sometimes bad). George became smitten by a perky blonde young lady named Terry Lynn Knowles. Their love transitioned into a marriage between very best friends. That unique love would be evident every day of their lives up until and including the moment George drew his final breath. The story of George's life is written against the backdrop of the significant health challenges he faced in the latter part of his life. God had gifted him with a great tenacity for dealing with problems, life, and people who were in his orbit. When his health became a major issue for him, he refused to let it define him as a person. Granted, from time to time, it may have seemed that the fabric of his life was unraveling faster than he could bind it up. Those challenges would force him to retire in 2012. In true George fashion, he would push through it and be the best version of himself that he could be. For many people, a diagnosis of terminal cancer would be like a death sentence. For George, it gave him the knowledge of how much more living he could enjoy in the time remaining. To accomplish this, he wanted to set a goal and that was to have one more Christmas with his family all together in one place. As his illness progressed, there was more than one time when that did not seem possible. As was typical for George, he persevered and was able to enjoy several wonderful days, celebrating both the miracle of Christmas and the uplifting strength found in a caring family. It was within that circle of love and strength that he took his last breath in the early morning hours of January 7, 2026. All the sailing adjustments had come full circle, and he left this world knowing that he had loved greatly and had received great love in return. He looked forward to personally thanking the God who had created him and who been his strength for all of his life. George is survived by his best friend and wife Terry Lynn Knowles Nelms. His children blessings are Jennifer Amy Nelms Montano, Taylor Nelms and wife Mallory. He was a "grandfather" in the truest sense of the word to Lee, Brendan, and Sean Chestnut. He is also survived by his siblings Capt. D. Wayne Nelms, USN Retired and his wife Susan, Robert Bruce Nelms and his wife Kathy, and Jane Marie Nelms and her husband Jeff Smith. The family of George Douglas Nelms invites his friends to join them on Sunday evening between 5:00 PM and 7:00 PM at McKoon Funeral Home at 38 Jackson Street for a time of reflection and celebration for the life of this good and loyal man. As his salty hero once said, "I have always looked at life as a voyage, mostly wonderful, sometimes frightening. In my family and friends, I have discovered a treasure more valuable than gold." It was George's desire that in lieu of flowers, friends might make a memorial gift to The Cholangiocarcinoma Foundation at cholangiocarcinoma.org for research to cure the cruelty of this rare form of cancer. McKoon funeral Home and Crematory 770-253-4580. Please express condolences online at www.mckoon.com.

George Douglas Nelms

November 21, 1952 - January 7, 2026