Manuela “Nellie” Messer

Manuela “Nellie” Lopez Messer, 83, of Jacksonville, passed away on Sunday, April 30, 2017 at Baptist Beaches Medical Center. She was born on December 2, 1933 in Glendale, Arizona to Conrado Lopez and Carmen Laguna Lopez and seven sisters.

In 1956 she met and married a young U.S. Navy Sailor named Donald Messer and spent the next twenty plus years traveling the world with him and raising their three children. When he retired from the Navy they decided to settle in the Beaches and Arlington areas to finish raising their family. Nellie was a life member of the Navy Wives Clubs of America, Mayport #201 and volunteered over 20 years at the Nearly New Thrift Shop on Mayport and other Charitable activities with the club.

She is lovingly survived by her children: son, Michael Messer (Annah), daughter, Marie Adams (Richard); grandchildren, Monique, Stephen & Emily Messer, Christopher & Cassandra Messer, Amber, Brittany and Casey Adams and 11 great grandchildren. She is also survived by sisters, Carmen Gutierrez and Mary Sims of California and many nieces, nephews, cousins and friends. She is preceded in death by her husband of 53 years Donald Messer and son Mark Messer.

A memorial service will be held on Monday, May 8, 2017 at 2 p.m. in the Chapel of  Quinn-Shalz Family Funeral Home, 3600 South Third Street, Jacksonville Beach, FL 32250. A celebration of life will be held after the memorial service at 4 p.m.  at 13001 Atlantic Blvd., Jacksonville, FL 32225 (at Watson Realty office).