Lisa Nelson Robertson

Lisa Nelson Robertson of Virginia Beach, Virginia, died peacefully in her home surrounded by her beloved husband and family on December 30, 2023. She passed away knowing that her hope is in Jesus Christ and she will be with Him for eternity.

Lisa Delavan Nelson was born March 9, 1954, to David and Barbara Nelson in Colorado. She grew up in Denver, attended Kent School for Girls, and had a lifelong love of the mountains and skiing.

She attended Sweet Briar College in Virginia, graduating in 1976. There, she led their Annual Religious Conference and invited Dr. Pat Robertson to be the keynote speaker. Unbeknownst to Lisa, Pat's acceptance was based on two parallel motives: first, to make up for some of his college antics while he was an undergraduate at Washington and Lee, and second, to persuade his "adventurous" son, Tim, then a student at the University of Virginia, to attend as well. The rest is history. Lisa and Timothy Brian Robertson were engaged in the same year of 1976 and married in 1977. They celebrated 46 joyous years of marriage in 2023. As Lisa loved to say, "God is the God of romance!"

Together they have five children and sixteen grandchildren, to whom she is adoringly known as "Honey:" Laura Robertson Kraus (Peter Robert Kraus) of Virginia Beach, with children Louisa, Susanna, and Harrison; Elizabeth Robertson Williams (Bernard John Williams III) of Atlanta, Georgia, with children Bernard IV, Virginia, Abigail, and Mary Churchill, Willis Hunt Robertson (Caitlin Johnson Robertson) of Woodland Hills, California, with children Annabelle, Willis Jr., and Amy, Caroline "Cally" Robertson Everett (Marshall Bradley Everett) of Virginia Beach, with children Robertson, Adelaide, and Warren Brewster; Abigail Robertson Allen (Derek Bernard Allen) of McLean, Virginia, with children Annalisa, Daniel, and Elizabeth (on the way).

Lisa is also survived by two cherished sisters, Jennifer Nelson Miner (Court Miner) and Barbara Sears Nelson; along with many nieces and nephews who know that "Honey" consistently loved and prayed for them.

She was predeceased by her sister, Laura Nelson; her brother, Sherlock Nelson; and her parents, David Sears Nelson and Barbara "Babby" Sherlock Nelson.

Following their marriage, Lisa and Tim lived in the Boston area where Lisa enjoyed a successful career in Advertising sales. She quickly moved from print, where she sold ads for Playbill and Panorama magazines, to television, where she was the top biller at WXNE-TV, now a Fox O and O. Lisa retired after the birth of their first child, proclaiming she was following her highest calling, motherhood. She wholeheartedly devoted herself to teaching and nurturing who would eventually become her five children, which also gave her the ability to pursue another passion, women's ministry.

With the blessing of the then rector of Galilee Church, John Jordan, Lisa started the women's Bible study which has continued almost forty years. She has impacted thousands of people with her wisdom, encouragement, and unfailing prayer support. Desiring to stretch out beyond her own church community, in the early 2000s she started Changing Seasons, a unique outreach in which women are welcomed into a social setting, rather than a church, to hear a message from a nationally acclaimed speaker designed to strengthen and uplift them in their everyday lives. Notable friends who participated included Duck Dynasty's Korie Robertson, Proverbs 31 Ministries Founder, Lysa Terkuerst, and former Wimbledon Champion, Betsy Nagelsen McCormack.

Her commitment to Bible teaching extended well beyond Virginia Beach, as Lisa faithfully served as a board member for The Museum of the Bible and Proverbs 31 Ministries. She was also a founding board member of the North American branch of Alpha, developed by Nicky Gumbel and Holy Trinity Brompton Church in London as an outreach working through local churches.

A noted author, Lisa wrote the book, The Path of Life: Walking in the Loving Presence of God; a devotional, Advent: Making Christmas About Christ, which is featured annually on The 700 Club; as well as a series of Bible study guides.

She was a strong advocate for the importance of early childhood education, serving as a founding board member of E-3 (Elevate Early Education), a statewide initiative in Virginia promoting school readiness for children under 5. As part of E-3's predecessor organization, Smart Beginnings South Hampton Roads, of which she was a board member, Lisa developed Faithful Beginnings, which links faith foundations with school readiness milestones. Biblical examples are used to teach younger children about their faith and to give them a solid foundation as they start kindergarten. She pioneered the implementation of Faithful Beginnings in low-income housing projects. In 2012, Virginia's Governor Bob McDonnell appointed her to serve on the Virginia State Board of Child Abuse and Neglect.

Lisa enjoyed tracing her American roots through her membership in The Mayflower Society and the Colonial Dames. She loved sharing these discoveries with her children and grandchildren.

In addition to skiing, Lisa enjoyed playing tennis and golf, taking prayer walks with her friends, and cheering for her beloved Denver Broncos and UVA's "Wahoos."

Lisa's favorite roles were as a wife, mother, and grandmother, and she always considered her greatest accomplishment to be her family, whom she loved and cherished so dearly.

A celebration of Lisa's life will be held January 6, 2024, at 11:00 a.m. at Galilee Episcopal Church (3928 Pacific Avenue, Virginia Beach, Virginia 23451). A reception will follow. The service will be livestreamed at GalileeChurch.net or Galilee's YouTube page.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations be made in her name to Proverbs 31 Ministries or The Museum of the Bible. Online condolences may be offered to the family at hdoliver.com.

"You have made known to me the path of life; you will fill me with joy in your presence, with eternal pleasures at your right hand." Psalm 16:11