Allison (nee Mackay) Nelson was born in New Brunswick, and educated at Sussex High School.  She married Garth Nelson who was employed with his father's mounument making company in that town. The two moved to Moncton where they set up a sales office. Later they repeated that act in St. John's, Newfoundland. In 1982 they moved to Kitchener, Ontario to start a new division of Nelson Monuments to serve southwestern Ontario. In 1995 when two older brothers decided to sell their interest in the firm to outside interests, the Ontario holdings became a proprietorship for Garth. They have been married for 22 years.  Allison is sometimes seen on the road driving a Celtic themed Harley. Her real love has been the clarinet,  and she has had a long association with the Kitchener-Waterloo Symphony Orchestra.