Nils Christian: A true Viking left this world to be with the immortals

Nils Christian Jorgensen

May 5, 1959 – April 4, 2026

Nils was born in Boston, MA and as a result of a breech birth was a quadriplegic for life. He attended the Cotting School in Boston through high school and graduated from Northeastern University with a degree in Recreational Therapy.

He worked in this field in the local area and competed in wheelchair sports in track and field for disabled athletes. He found success both in local and regional events, which eventually led to competing in international competition at the Stokes-Mandeville games in Aylesbury, England, where he won gold medals in his classification. These games were the framework in establishing the Olympic Paralympics model, which came to fruition in the U.S. in Atlanta, Georgia (1996) following the Olympic Games.

He was drafted by the Quadzilla wheelchair rugbyteam and moved to the Bay Area in Oakland, CA to take advantage of the milder weather and continue his athletic pursuits while working at St Mary’s hospital in the Recreational Therapy field and as well with the SFO YMCA, building many long-term friendships in the area.

He was predeceased by his mother Amy (Erlandson) Jorgensen, his father Thorkild V. Jorgensen. He is survived by his sisters, Chris (Jorgensen) Viegaard, Linnea V. (Jorgensen) Mc Fadden, Camilla (Jorgensen) Hamilton, and his brothers Arn V. Jorgensen and John E. Jorgensen, and many nieces and nephews. The family would like to acknowledge his dear friends Daniel and Adrienne Snyder, Reggie Richner, David Reece and Katy Belton.

He leaves many relatives, good friends and acquaintances on both US coasts and across the world who will join his family in regretting his absence in their lives.

Celebration of Life for Nils C. Jorgensen is June 28, 2026 – 4:00-8:00 p.m. – Elks Lodge, 1 Morrell Street, West Roxbury, MA