As mentioned in my earlier post of November 2, 2021, Bob was President of the Colony Men's Golf Club for the years of 2016 and 2017. Bob and I were instrumental in creating what is now the clubs focus on an annual Awards Tournament and Luncheon at The Colony. Each year the club provides scholarships to graduating college bound members of the school's golf programs. This year was no exception. This week we held our annual Awards Tournament and Luncheon and as I was posting the group picture in my achieves, I found the attached photo.

I started babysitting for Bob and Betty before I could drive.  My love for Brad, Robin, Melina and David started growing immediately!  They were a typical family but like ours they enjoyed having fun and so we hit it off!  Brad would tell me the truth of what were “really” the limits and David always had something fun up his sleeve and Robin had be be a little more in control than Melinda but not by a lot!  We had so much fun! 
I want to focus on what I noticed about Bob through all the years…almost every time I came over before they went out he would look at Betty then me and smile in that wonderful Bob Nease smile and say to me “ Isn’t my wife beautiful!!”  and he would keep saying it to make sure she would acknowledge him saying it!  There may have been times that Betty may have been a bit embarrassed but my guess there was never a time she got tired of knowing just how beautiful she was to her wonderful husband!   This was an amazing example of the love Bob had for his Betty!  Betty we all know that you were given a gift in Bob a wonderful husband that loved the Lord and cherished his wife!   Thanks for trusting me with your precious children and including me as family!  We miss Bob and know it will make going to heaven even sweeter! ❤️❤️❤️❤️

I was thinking about you this morning Papa, and realizing how fun it must be to celebrate your birthday in heaven! Nana, if you’re reading this I know the pain of grief that floods this day. This is the day we celebrated our beloved Dad/Papa… this day always seems to be the hardest to endure without them (Brad and Papa) being here with us! I know we will all be reflecting today on the greatest memories we were so blessed to have. I loved that Papa’s birthday always came with Father’s Day weekend following. We always had the best celebrations. The cards and gifts poured in, and I think Melinda and David always seemed to find the funniest cards. I can hear the roar of laughter as we passed them around. You are still here with us Papa…we carry you in our hearts always. The last unit I taught in Kindergarten Math was on counting coins. There was a great UTube song with a barber shop quartet singing about the penny, nickel, dime, and quarter. You loved those Barber Shop Quartets! Love you so much! In my heart there rings a melody, there rings a melody of LOVE! ❤️ XO Holl

Robin said you are going to meet my dad some day. And that someday came unexpectedly my life has not been the same since Bob as you know saying you need to memorize this verse  me being the rebellious person said that ain’t going to happen well 49 years later I still have not memorized verses but Bob chose to meet with me once a week for several months thru his determination of witnessing to me I accepted Christ into my life I grew up lost angry and alcoholic with Bob’s love for me and Christ I have found and peaceful and 32 years sober I love you Bob

Bob loved the game of golf and was an avid competitor. His final years on the links were played on the California Oaks Golf Course. The course is nestled in “The Colony” a small active "55 and older" community in Murrieta CA. Bob was an active member of the Colony Men's Golf Club playing in weekly tournaments as well as having served on the BOD as President and Vice President from 2014-2017.

Bob scored his last "Hole in One" on the CA Oaks Golf Course's Hole #5, November 6, 2015.

In 2016 at the age of 86 while competing in the CMGC's "Club Champion" tournament event Bob posted three consecutive rounds under his age; 82, 80 and 85, not an easy feat for any golfer.

What has been posted by his family to describe my good friend Bob is right on target, “…. an amazing man who was deeply committed to God, his family, and his community”. I do not think any other description of Bob would have been more appropriate.

Bob and I met some years back when we both were early members to the Colony Men’s Golf Club. Bob approached me with the statement that he, “wanted to get to know me better”. He suggested that he take me out to lunch sometime in the future to get to know me. I, of course, squinted my right eye and [being left handed] raised my left eyebrow in wonderment.

Many thoughts went through my head from all directions hoping to uncover the underlying reason why this man wanted to get to know me better?? But I agreed that it would be nice to get to know him as well and I agreed to let him take me out to lunch. I was convinced that I needed to determine the real “WHY” factor as it still floated through my gray matter trying to determine the underlying truth. We settled on a local restaurant called “The Mill” on Thursday the following week. I was very familiar with The Mill since moving into Wildomar with my family 30 years ago.

Over the next several days I grappled with the WHY of Bob’s invitation. Then it came to me. In my early days just out of High School, I worked for a defense contractor named “The Aerospace Corporation” located on Norton Air Force Base and was the Ballistic Missile Systems Division. The corporate offices were located in El Segundo CA which housed the Space Systems Division. I worked there for ten years and experienced the company’s ups and downs. The engineers working in the company had some side investments and had often times took me aside [me a member of the prestigious mailroom delivering office mail twice daily] and tried desperately to recruit me into their sideline business …. AMWAY! Yes that was Bob’s motive for “getting to know me better” … I was convinced of it. He was trying to have me become one of his distributors. Oh my, how will I respectfully decline his overture explaining that I’ve been there before and now retired was not in the least bit interested.

I struggled for several days … at times with loss of sleep wanting not to let this nice guy down by declining his offer for “a piece of the action” with AMWAY.

On the following Thursday Bob picked me up at 11:45a and off to The Mill we went. We both ordered salads [The Mill makes humongous salads] that kept us chewing for quite some time. We talked about family, our roots and what brought us to The Colony. I anticipated the question would be coming at any time. I thought my, he’s going to keep me hanging until dinner. The server came by as we were forcing down the scrapes and asked if we were up for some dessert….. we both declined. She picked up our dishes and placed the bill in front of Bob. His credit card in the ready and off went the server.

Okay I thought here it comes …. AMWAY!.

Bob then received the credit card receipt, entered a tip, signed the receipt, placed his copy into his pocket and quietly said … let’s go.

OMG, it wasn’t about AMWAY at all, it was about this nice guy who wanted to take ME out to lunch …. and of all things he “just wanted to get to know me better”!

Susan and I have truly enjoyed the relationship that followed with Bob and Betty, great friends. I look back fondly on our association with the Men’s Golf Club. Bob followed me as President of the club … me in 2014-15 and Bob 2016-17. We did make a positive impact during those years.

I will always cherish the memories of playing golf with my good friend and someday I too will depart this earth and hopefully we will meet up once again. You will be missed my friend but not forgotten.

Much love the Murphy’s, Dennis and Susan