Robert Cahill Nelson

The ultimate Whirling Dervish, Robert started walking at nine months; two days later he was running – and he never stopped. He climbed anything and everything - the higher, the better. No rock was left unturned or dark hole unexplored while capturing innumerable spiders, scorpions, snakes, squirrels and vermin (and bitten by the same). He feared nothing; he thought “Stop” meant “Go faster!” and “Don’t” meant “Game on!”

Robert would often just disappear, sending the entire neighborhood into a panic looking for him; most often he be found on the roof, “chillaxin’.” At eight, he tied a zip-line from the top of a tree in the front yard to the backyard fence, so when not engaged in another death-defying feat, he’d be flying across the yard upside down on the zip-line.

He got his first set of power tools when he was nine and over the years amassing an enviable collection of hand, power and precision tools. He should have been the Poster Boy for Lowes, Home Depot, Northern Tools and Harbor Freight.

Robert was natural athlete. His senior year he was 6'4" and played D-Line on Alamo Heights Varsity team (its first team to play in the State Semi-Finals). After graduating in 2005, he wanted to be in College Station with his brother, so he went to Blinn, aiming for A&M. He was a member of the Kappa Alpha fraternity where he made many lifelong friends. After four fun filled years, those plans were put on hold when he needed a total shoulder replacement and a year of recovery, so he returned home to San Antonio; he was a member of the San Antonio German Club and the Order of the Alamo.

Robert’s “Happy Place” was at Camp LaJunta in Hunt, Texas, where he was camper from the age of five until he was 14, and a counselor for another three years. As a counselor, he was in command of the waterfront, teaching swimming, canoeing and skiing, and as an AC counselor, teaching them how to drive a stick-shift, operate a backhoe and weld as well as lead the group project of building walkways around the camp. He loved outdoor sports and was pretty darned good at whatever he endeavored - hunting, fishing, skeet shooting, water skiing, rock-climbing, kayaking and shooting his compound bow.

With his innate skills, home construction and remodeling was a natural fit; for 15 years he worked independently and for various contractors overseeing the remodeling of homes. He was well liked by all the sub-contractors, not only because he understood and appreciated their skills, but he’d jump into the trenches to work alongside them whenever he could.

Robert truly never met a stranger; he’d strike up a conversation with anyone. As a child he was as comfortable conversing with adults as those his age.

As his mother, I long planned to write a book about all of Robert’s adventures and misadventures, calling it: “... and then along came Bob;” the opening paragraph explained the title. He loved the idea and often asked when I was going to start writing it.: “Once upon a time, Ozzie and Harriet’s life was calm... quiet... peaceful... serene... and then along came Bob... and life was never again the same at the Nelson house!”

He was predeceased by his grandparents: Joanne Steves and Franklin French Devine, Jr., and Ann Gonzalez and James Baldwin Nelson and his uncle, Franklin French Devine III.

He is survived by his beloved dog Reilly, his parents, Carroll Devine and James Baldwin Nelson, Jr., his brother, James Baldwin Nelson III; his uncles and aunts: Sam Steves Devine, Robert Emmett Devine, Mary McDougle Devine; Tony and Cathy Nelson Sisk, Rebecca Nelson; cousins, Beau Devine, Jessica Sisk Faulks (Dan), Allison Sisk, Amanda Sisk Pickering (Doug), Paul Warren (Lauren), Whitney Warren Bickham (Anthony) and Ellan Warren as well as his great-aunts: Bebe Steves Rosser, Martha Steves Peet, Julie Steves Powers (Greg); and multitudes of cousins.

CELEBRATION OF HIS LIFEFRIDAY, OCTOBER 27, 202311:00 A.M.ALAMO HEIGHTS PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH6201 BROADWAYWITH A RECEPTION TO FOLLOW

In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be sent in Robert’s name to Alamo Heights Presbyterian Church, 6201 Broadway, San Antonio, Texas 78209, or to The Texas Cavaliers Foundation, 909 NE Loop 410, Suite 903, San Antonio, Texas 78209.