Dr. Robert E. Nelson, 89, of North Andover, formerly of Weston, died on August 23, 2022, following a lengthy illness.

He was born in Arlington and was the son of the late Walter G. and Astrid (Almquist) Nelson.

Dr. Nelson was a graduate of Waltham High School and following high school earned his degree in Electrical Engineering at Tufts University in Medford. He later completed his master's degree and doctorate at Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

In the early 1960s, he founded Energy Conversion Co. and in later years worked for EG&G and the Gillette Co.  At Gillette, he ran the Research and Development Lab in Cambridge.

He is credited with the invention and advancement of technology of many products including the butane curling iron, smoke detectors and digital watches to name a few.  He holds many patents for these items along with patents for several forms of battery technology.  He was a pioneer in the development of thermophotovoltaic energy conversion and has published several papers on the subject.

Dr. Nelson was a longtime member of the IEEE. He enjoyed spending time in Newport, RI, swimming, playing tennis and tinkering in his basement.  What he loved best of all was a good glass of wine and a meal in a fine restaurant.

He is survived by his daughter, Katharine A.N. Ryan and her husband, Kevin of West Peabody and his granddaughter, Joelle M. Ryan also of West Peabody. He was predeceased by his brother Carl W. Nelson.

Services are private.

In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to the Preservation Society of Newport County, 424 Bellevue Ave., Newport, RI 02840.