Robert "Bob" Nelson

We're heartbroken to let everyone know that on February 21, 2022, Dad passed away early in the morning surrounded by his family. Born near his mom and dad's Delia farm, he grew up as one of eight kids in a home where the money was sparse but the laughter was constant. At 16, he joined the army and headed out into the world. When he was 19, he met Connie; he always said he knew she was "the one" from that first moment. Not long after, Connie agreed and they were married in 1968. The kids came along some time after that, Curtis first and then Stasi (Anastasia), giving him his core focus in life - being Dad.

Dad went to work in the oilfield in 1973 but always said that he never worked a day in his life because "when you love what you do, it really isn't work." Meticulous, diligent, hard-working, and a perfectionist, he made his way up the ladder until he owned his own company and was running the show. He spent 43 years on the rigs in North America and the Middle East. He loved animals of every sort, but particularly cats. We're pretty sure that he might be the only person in history to ever take his cat to work with him on the rigs.

When he wasn't working, he loved to rise at the crack of dawn (or earlier) and head down to the local coffee haunt where he'd talk with anyone and everyone for hours. He loved cars; we couldn't tell you how many he owned over the years. The insurance company once told him that if he bought another, he'd have to get a dealership policy! No matter how much they broke and presented challenges, he found something about each one that he thought was better than any other car ever, because that's just how he looked at the world. He was always up for a game of pool, spent almost 50 years playing cards with Lynn and Harold Roth, and don't ask how many hours of Trivial Pursuit went on in the home! Christmas was hallowed time and there weren't many forces in the universe that could stop him from getting home from work for it.

As the years went by, dad became passionate about golf and wine, often in quick succession to one another. There was little he enjoyed as much as hitting the links with Bill Miller, Tom Boyter, Ed Wall, or Brian and Heather Bieber. His annual golf vacation with Del Korth was always the high point of his year. He was an avid motorbiker who enjoyed remote control airplanes, music, cinnamon buns, wiener roasts, campfires, sunsets, movies, walks with Mom, and was always working his way through a novel. Dad lived for spending time with friends and family, conversing endlessly, and tirelessly trying to make everybody laugh - which he was pretty good at doing even when we'd heard the punchline before.

In his golden years, he enjoyed travel - more places to see, more things to do, and more people to meet. If you believed you were mistaken because you thought you saw 70-year-old Bob zoom by on a roller coaster, you weren't: that was him. Though he was crushed by the passing of his siblings who went before him, it only strengthened his resolve to be closer to the people still here, like his niece Rhonda and her family, including his godson Brayden, whom he felt especially bonded to after losing his youngest sister. It would be difficult to count his friendships, while we couldn't name a single enemy. He loved us kids and his ranking of "best dad in the world" could never be challenged. He loved Mom and told her so all the time for 56½ years. We miss him terribly and always will, but are uplifted to know that among all the things in the world he loved, he always knew he was loved back.

Dad would be joyed it if anyone felt moved to make a donation in his name to the SPCA, their local animal shelter, or the cancer charity of your choosing.

A Celebration of Bob’s Life will be held in June. Details to follow at a later date.