Robert Nerli

Robert Lloyd Nerli, age 74, passed away after a long battle from frontotemporal dementia (FTD) in Allendale, Michigan on April 23, 2025. He was surrounded by family in the comfort of his own home with skilled Holland Hospice team that assisted in the end of life care. Born on February 13, 1951 in Grand Rapids, Michigan to Harland and Dorothy Nerli, Robert was raised alongside his older brother William and younger sisters Lois and Joyce. Robert met Jane Radlinski (high school sweet heart) at a friends house later in high school years in Grand Rapids, Michigan. They would be married later on in their life experience together. After graduating Creston High School, Robert went on to work with his father Harland for a couple of years learning a variety of trades. Robert then went on to joining the United States Army and served in Vietnam where he was awarded the following medals:

National Defense Service Medal / Combat Infantryman Badge

Vietnam Campaign Medal w/60 Device / Bronze Star Medal

Vietnam Service Medal w/1 Bronze Service Star / Air Medal

a Expert Badge in pistol, machine gun, rifle and grenade

A ZIPPO lighter was found among his medals with a inscription on it:

VIET NAM

70-71

“FOR THOSE WHO HAVE

FOUGHT FOR IT,

FREEDOM HAS A TASTE

THE PROTECTED WILL

NEVER KNOW”

After service in the 101st screaming eagles as a 11B20 Lt Wpns Inf, he received a honorable discharge as a SP4 in rank.

Robert and Jane were then reunited and married at St. Isidore’s church on N.E. side of Grand Rapids. He was 21 and Jane was 19 when they exchanged vows to one another. They started a family of sons: Brad, David and Robert on S.E. side of Grand Rapids just down the street from St. Paul the Apostle where they sent their sons to Catholic school for a number of years. Robert L. Nerli worked at American Seating as a production welder than inspector for 35 years and was able to retire at age 59.

Robert engaged in disc golfing in his retirement years frequently visiting disc golfing courses and playing on a Grand Rapids Dogs of Disc League.

One of Roberts life long passions for freshwater aquariums was further involved with Grand Valley Aquarium Club. A mastery of Cichlid breeding that Robert did was known throughout Michigan as people would buy from him at auctions. His basement fish room looked like something one would see at a zoo exhibit. Fresh water brine shrimp aquariums bubbling for his angel fish feedings and state of the art filtering canisters humming in the background compounded by industrial shelves and stands supporting 120 gallon tanks to smaller ones everywhere lit up the room. This was a definite move from his earlier years of racing pigeons with the Grand Rapids Racing Pigeon Club and watching rollers flip in the skies above. Memories were filled with camping and fishing adventures from Tahquamenon Falls to all the Great Lakes and lazy summer days at P.J. Hoffmaster State Park watching waves roll in and sun sets. Robert also had a passion he shared with wife Jane in gardening, special plants growing in aquariums to years of landscaping and indoor plants were in abundance. Robert was preceded in death by his parents Harland and Dorothy Nerli and sibling Joyce. Robert Lloyd Nerli is survived by his spouse Jane, sons Brad, David, Robert and older brother William (Shirley) and younger sister Lois (Dan) and many nieces, nephews, grandchildren and family.

Memorial services will be held on Wednesday April 30th at Chapel Hill Memorial Cemetery for his interment of ashes at 2:00 PM east of veterans cemetery