Malou H. Nelson

MALOU H. NELSON of Green Valley, AZ, formerly of Sandwich, IL, passed away on August 31, 2026 at the age of 99.

Born in Belgium on October 20, 1926, Malou (née Moyano) was the eldest of three daughters born to her parents Joseph and Josephine (Theunissen) Moyano. As a girl, Malou revered her father, who insisted that she and her sisters remain in his care after the tragic death of her mother when Malou was 5 years old. From an early age, Malou was adept with languages, speaking French, German, Flemish, and English. Her family and friends can all recall her beautiful accent, though none can replicate it quite precisely. She was a high achieving student, whose education at a boarding school in Bastogne, Belgium, was interrupted during WWII’s German occupation of her homeland and the ensuing Battle of the Bulge in 1944. Malou and her family, which now included her stepmother Marguerite (Pütz) and two half-siblings, rejoiced when Belgium was liberated by Allied Forces, including American GIs.

In 1947, Malou married her first husband, Joseph Balhan, and welcomed her sons Michael and Maurice in the early 1950s. She immigrated to the USA on April 10, 1957, with her young family, and as a polyglot Malou found work with the Belgian Consulate General in Chicago. She was proud to become a United States citizen in 1963. Malou was open to new experiences and could fit in everywhere she found herself. This led her to join many clubs and organizations, and more often than not, she would end up in leadership positions. Always interested in the world around her, Malou embarked on a new career as a travel agent in her mid-life. She had seen the world at war, the new world in America, and now it was time for Malou to see the natural and cultural beauty of the world through travel.

On Malou’s 50th birthday, she met the love of her life, the man who would travel the globe with her, Woodrow (Woody) Nelson. Malou and Woody adventured to six continents and over 100 islands and countries, collecting beautiful souvenirs, spectacular photographs, and even more fantastic stories. Her grandchildren especially loved the gifts she would bring home from Egypt, Peru, Thailand, and more; though nothing was better than the suitcase of Belgian chocolate she returned home with any time she traveled back to her birthplace.

Malou will be fondly remembered as a worldly woman who shared her talents generously with her friends and family. She cooked multi-course gourmet dinners for large parties well into her 80s; donated cross-stitched artwork that took her hours to complete to charity auctions; and organized cruises and local excursions for the Green Valley Singles’ Club, of which she was a founding member. Malou was a skillful bridge player, an incessant reader, a patron of the theater, a fan of soccer and baseball, and a beloved wife, mother, grandmother, sister, aunt, great-grandmother, and friend to many.

Malou was preceded in death by her beloved husband, Woody, and son, Maurice. She is survived by her son Michael Balhan and his wife Linda, her daughter-in-law, Janet Balhan, her grandchildren Michelle Balhan, Steve (Tracy) Balhan, Michael Balhan, Krystle (Tom Esch) Balhan, Matthew Balhan, Douglas Nelson, Jennifer Nelson, and great-grandchildren Stephen, Riley, Ford, June, and Warren, as well as stepfamily, nieces, and nephews.