Robert Steven Nelson

Robert "Bob" Steven Nelson passed peacefully into the arms of Jesus, surrounded by his wife and children, on December 29, 2025. Known for his knowledge about everything from cars to Greek, Bob brought a smile and a cigar to every conversation into which he was invited.
Born to Rudolph "Rudy" and Nora Nelson in San Francisco in 1946, Bob was the oldest of 4.
Bob's life was devoted to his Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Having been raised in the ways of God by his Russian-born grandma, he first earned an Associate of Arts degree in drafting at the College of Marin before going on to San Jose Bible College, where he graduated with a Bachelor's degree in Theology.
God was an integral part of Bob's life, the inspiration for his racing team slogans, and the motivating factor for his devotion and service to his church family in Los Gatos. During the early 80's, Bob helped establish Salinas Valley Community Church in Salinas, serving there faithfully for many years as Head Usher and church Elder.
Bob's life was blessed with two great loves: he married Patty Gard as a young man, and their family grew to include Sheri, Enoch, Seth, & Jerod. He loved being a grandpa to his 8 grandchildren. After Patty's death from cancer, God blessed Bob with love once more. He married Kathleen Freitas in 2014, and they were devoted to each other until his death.
Everyone who was blessed to meet Bob knew him to be warm, friendly, witty, and always willing to help a friend and neighbor. He was a gifted auto mechanic, having had a passion for cars from a young age. He had more knowledge about cars in his pinky finger than ChatGPT could dream of! However, his greatest passion was serving people. He cared about each person that he met and loved his family dearly. His loss will be deeply felt by so many. He leaves behind his wife Kathleen; children Sheri, Seth, Jerod; siblings Tom, Donna, and Barry; grandchildren, numerous family members, friends and church family, all look forward to being reunited with him in heaven one day.