Robert Lance "Bob" Nelson

1929 - 2017

Robert "Bob" Lance Nelson, born March 17, 1929, in Fresno to Lance E. and Inez M. Nelson, passed away peacefully at home in Sacramento on January 9, 2017, at the age of 87. He began school in Easton, CA, then moved to Modesto, Petaluma, and back to Fresno. He grad-uated from Theodore Roosevelt High School in 1946. An only child, he had great parents although his father passed away much too young at the age of 53. Bob decided he wanted to be an engineer after reading about the construction of the San Francisco Bay and Golden Gate bridges as a youngster. He received a B.S. in Civil Engineering from Stanford in 1950. After graduation he began working for the State of CA Division of Highways (now called Caltrans). In 1956, he married Fannie Mae Lankford, a fellow graduate of Roosevelt High. He worked in the Caltrans Fresno District from 1950 to 1966 in construction, design, surveys, and planning. He progressed up the promotional ladder and transferred to Headquarters in Sacramento in 1966. He served in various administrative functions, including his last 20 years as a Headquarters Surveys Engineer. He retired in 1991 with a total of 41 years of service, including two years in the Army during the Korean War. Although most of us wish we had done more during our lives, Bob was quite proud of the projects he'd worked on and his accomplishments over the years. He was particularly proud of his son Lance Nelson (wife Cynthia) of Fresno; daughter Carol Nelson of Sacramento; daughter Sharon Nelson of Atlanta, GA; and his lovely wife Fannie, who passed away in 2015 after 59 years of marriage. He was an avid golfer, especially in his retirement years. He also volunteered as a coach for the California Eagles, a golf program for athletes of all ages with special needs, in which his daughter Carol participated. Per Bob's specific wishes, there will not be a service. In lieu of flowers, the family asks that any donations be made to the Golden Eagles (First Tee of Greater Sacramento) or a charity of the donor's choice.