Robert Westfield Nelson, 84, of Los Angeles, California, passed away April 1, 2006.
He was born in Marysville, Kansas, on May 17, 1921, to Olaf John and Mattie Mae (Robinette) Nelson.
During WWII, he served in the Navy as a Motor Machinist Mate third class on the Advanced Based floating Dry Dock the ABSD-7 in the Central Pacific Theatre. Medals and Commendations received, Navy Meritorious Unit Commendation, Navy Battle "E" Ribbon, American Campaign Medal, World War II Victory Medal and National Defense Service Medal. After the war, he ran his own machine shop business, serving the aerospace industry for 30 years, retiring in 1989. He developed many prototypes and fabricated re-entry pieces for the first space shuttles. Mr. Nelson was an honorary Camp Fire Girl and served on the La Puente Safety and Traffic Commission for many years.
He and Thelma Fern Teare were married and moved to Los Angeles in 1942.
Mr. and Mrs. Nelson were members of the St. Matthew's Methodist Church where their family was selected as the Methodist Family of the Year for the western region in 1957.
While working and raising a family, Mr. and Mrs. Nelson were regional directors for the American Field Service and Youth for Understanding High School Exchange Programs, from 1969-1976, hosting six placed students themselves. Avid motorcyclists, and later RV'ers, the Nelsons made several trips across the country, to Nova Scotia and the Yukon.
He is survived by their children, MaryJane Nelson Tran, Wendy Fay Nelson Hornsby, Robert Bruce Nelson, and Edie Wynne Nelson Robinette-Petrachi, and their grandchildren Alyson Gwyneth Hornsby, Christopher Nelson Hornsby, and Chiara Cristina Wynne Petrachi, Pietro Ugo Bruys Petrachi, and Luca Matteo Ettore Petrachi.
He was preceded in death by his wife, Thelma Fern Nelson on August 11, 1993.
A graveside memorial service for Mr. and Mrs. Nelson is scheduled for 1:00 p.m., Saturday, May 19, 2007, at the South Mound Cemetery in the Robinette Family Plot. A reception in the South Mound Community Center will immediately follow.
Memorials are suggested to the Lupus Foundation and the Myelodysplastic Syndrome Foundation. These can be left at or mailed to the Forbes-Hoffman Funeral Home, P.O. Box 374, Parsons, KS 67357. To order memorial trees or send flowers to the family in memory of Robert Westfield Nelson, please visit our flower store.
He was born in Marysville, Kansas, on May 17, 1921, to Olaf John and Mattie Mae (Robinette) Nelson.
During WWII, he served in the Navy as a Motor Machinist Mate third class on the Advanced Based floating Dry Dock the ABSD-7 in the Central Pacific Theatre. Medals and Commendations received, Navy Meritorious Unit Commendation, Navy Battle "E" Ribbon, American Campaign Medal, World War II Victory Medal and National Defense Service Medal. After the war, he ran his own machine shop business, serving the aerospace industry for 30 years, retiring in 1989. He developed many prototypes and fabricated re-entry pieces for the first space shuttles. Mr. Nelson was an honorary Camp Fire Girl and served on the La Puente Safety and Traffic Commission for many years.
He and Thelma Fern Teare were married and moved to Los Angeles in 1942.
Mr. and Mrs. Nelson were members of the St. Matthew's Methodist Church where their family was selected as the Methodist Family of the Year for the western region in 1957.
While working and raising a family, Mr. and Mrs. Nelson were regional directors for the American Field Service and Youth for Understanding High School Exchange Programs, from 1969-1976, hosting six placed students themselves. Avid motorcyclists, and later RV'ers, the Nelsons made several trips across the country, to Nova Scotia and the Yukon.
He is survived by their children, MaryJane Nelson Tran, Wendy Fay Nelson Hornsby, Robert Bruce Nelson, and Edie Wynne Nelson Robinette-Petrachi, and their grandchildren Alyson Gwyneth Hornsby, Christopher Nelson Hornsby, and Chiara Cristina Wynne Petrachi, Pietro Ugo Bruys Petrachi, and Luca Matteo Ettore Petrachi.
He was preceded in death by his wife, Thelma Fern Nelson on August 11, 1993.
A graveside memorial service for Mr. and Mrs. Nelson is scheduled for 1:00 p.m., Saturday, May 19, 2007, at the South Mound Cemetery in the Robinette Family Plot. A reception in the South Mound Community Center will immediately follow.
Memorials are suggested to the Lupus Foundation and the Myelodysplastic Syndrome Foundation. These can be left at or mailed to the Forbes-Hoffman Funeral Home, P.O. Box 374, Parsons, KS 67357. To order memorial trees or send flowers to the family in memory of Robert Westfield Nelson, please visit our flower store.
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