Pilar Castro-Nelson

Faithful throughout her life, Pilar will be remembered with deep respect and enduring gratitude by all who knew and loved her.

Pilar Castro-Nelson was born on November 7, 1935, in Ciudad Real, Spain, to Angel Castro and Pilar Carrion. She grew up in Spain and graduated from an all-girls Catholic school. After graduating, she was sponsored by the Mercedarian Sisters to study English in the United States.

While in the United States, Pilar worked at the Alameda Plaza Hotel in Kansas City, where she was regarded as a favored employee. She was later employed by Dr. Esther Marcus and Dr. Weber Ingersoll, helping raise their two sons, Michael and Adam.

While working on the Plaza, Pilar met the love of her life, Larry Nelson. She gained the affectionate nicknames of "brown-eyes" and "toots" by Larry, and dearly beloved him. They were married on March 16, 1974, and celebrated 52 years of marriage together, raising their son, Donald. When their son married, Pilar devoted her attention to her grandchildren, William and Margaret, whom she loved dearly.

Pilar was dedicated to her faith and was a member of St. Elizabeth Catholic Church for over 50 years. She was also a strong supporter of the Sister Servants of Mary for more than 30 years, always helping with their June fundraiser.

Pilar loved spending time with her family and visiting her home in Spain. She traveled every other year to spend summers in her home country, often taking family—and sometimes friends—along with her. Personable and warm, she seemed to have friends wherever she went, and there was no doubt a peal of laughter whenever she was part of the conversation.

Pilar was preceded in death by her parents, Angel Castro and Pilar Carrion-Castro; and her brothers, Tomas, Angel, Jose Luis, and Ramon. She is survived by her husband of 52 years, Laurence Nelson; her son, Donald Nelson; her grandchildren, William and Margaret; her brother, Nicanor Castro; and her sister, Aurora Cantero.

The family would like to thank Sister Elizabeth, Maria Jose Santos, Pili Fernandez, and Julissa Espinoza for their compassionate care and support of Pilar in her final days. A very special thank you to Susan, Sandy, and Laura for their time and support they showed Larry during this difficult time.

Services will be held on Monday, March 30, 2026 at Mt. Moriah Newcomer & Freeman Funeral Home, 10507 Holmes Road, Kansas City, Missouri. Rosary will begin at 10:00am, with the visitation following. The funeral service will start at 11:00am, with a committal service in Mount Moriah Cemetery following.