Biography

Nelson Ordiales Aspilla

Birth: March 14, 1968, Manila, Philippines

Death: January 22, 2008, Toronto, Canada

Nelson was born in Manila, Philippines and was the only son of Imelda and Pedro. He had two younger sisters, Mailyne and Emylene.

Nelson had an innate curiosity and natural happy demeanor, and quickly developed his love of extreme and nontraditional sports as soon as he could walk. As a very young boy, he happily explored the dirty and dangerous streets of Manila on his own, where his favorite sport was jumping onto speeding tricycles as they whizzed by.

Before he could get into too much trouble with the tricycles, Nelson and his family moved to Mississauga, Canada in 1975. It was here that Nelson developed his addiction to Lego, watching television (especially Gillian's Island after school!), and taking things apart, but not necessarily putting them back together.

When the family moved to Brampton, Nelson discovered local construction sites and a cemetery to explore – when he was caught by Peel police jumping and frolicking in the newly raked mountains of leaves in the cemetery, he became more cautious in his exploratory adventures, and found hobbies and interests that instead kept him in the house – comic books, video games and computers – riding dirt bikes (and getting all banged up!) was the only hobby that took him outside of the house.

As he grew older, Nelson was known for excelling in drafting, math, and the sciences, but not excelling in sports. In high school, he was famous/infamous for his love of new wave and other genres of music, break-dancing, anything black, and his stylish (and big!) hair and glasses. It was also in high school that Nelson met some of his dearest friends, all of whom he continued to be very close to over the decades.

Post high-school life is when Nelson became deeply devoted to motorcycles. He attended Centennial College where in graduated top of his class in Motorcycle and Power Sports Mechanics. Nelson also attended Fast Motorcycle Racing School which led him to a brief racing career, with his highest placing being third in an endurance race at the Shannonville Motosport Park. Nelson worked as a Mechanic at his father's motorcycle business for some years, and also worked as a member of motorcycle racing pit-crews. As part of these pit-crews, Nelson traveled all over the United States and Canada, saw many precedent setting races, and worked on some truly "wicked" racing bikes.

Nelson retired from working (but not from playing!) with motorcycles in 1996, when he started working as a Dispatcher at SIS, eventually ADT. At last, he found the perfect job to match his sleeping habits – staying up all night and sleeping all day! Nelson enjoyed his work immensely (except when the Starbucks pastry delivery people tripped the alarms!), but more so he enjoyed the chatter, company, and the consumption of copious amounts of fast food with his colleagues – together these made Nelson stay with ADT for 12 years, until his death.

When Nelson wasn't working at ADT, he was hangin' with the boys, playing poker and video games, mountain biking, or snow-boarding. Nelson was also always taking pictures of everything and everyone (he was a pest with the camera!) and building his many unique/obscure collections, including his sticker collection – he stickered all of his belongings, and often other people's belongings, even against their will.

Nelson was diagnosed with a rare condition, aortic dissection (also called dissecting aneurysm) in May, 2005. In January, 2008, he succumbed to complications of the disease at the young age of 39 in Toronto, Canada.

He is survived by his mother, father, two sisters, one-brother-in-law, one nephew, and innumerable tried and true friends.

This website is a collaborative effort of both Nelson's family and friends. Nelson was cherished by many, and celebrated by all that knew him.