Barbara "Bobbi" Jane (Watkins) Nelson

Barbara (Bobbi) Jane Nelson passed away peacefully on Saturday morning, August 5, at her home in Dover, New Hampshire.  She was 75.

Born in Berlin (British Sector) Germany on November 28, 1947, she was the only child of Group Captain Edward George Watkins, CBE A.F.C., RAF Ret. and Joan (Quelch) Watkins.  Depending on where her father was assigned, Barbara spent her childhood in various countries around the world, including Hong Kong, Malaysia, England, and Canada before finally settling with her parents in Ridgefield, Connecticut.  She graduated from Ridgefield High in 1964 and attended Northeastern University in Boston, Massachusetts, earning a Bachelor of Arts in History and graduating in 1968.  It was at a friend’s party in Boston that she would meet the man who would become her husband of 53 years.

After their marriage, Barbara and Wayne settled in New Hampshire.  She worked for many years in the medical services field, retiring in 1986 to focus on raising two children, several guinea pigs, and three dachshunds (who were easily as stubborn as she was when it came to the rules of the household, such as those regarding unattended sandwiches).

She was active in many groups throughout the years, including various church choirs and the local chapter of the Fenton Finders.  Despite a lifetime of visual impairment, she remained an avid reader right until the end.  This impairment also meant that she was computer illiterate until the last few years, when technology and assistive software developed to the point she could navigate an iPad, opening up an entire world of email, online programs and text messaging.  Her children will fondly remember when she sent them her first emoji—a smiley face. 

She was a devoted grandmother to her many fur grandbabies.

She is survived by her husband, Wayne F. Nelson, daughter Amanda L. Nelson, son Christopher B. Nelson, all of Dover, New Hampshire, and many friends.

The family wishes any memorial contributions to be made to the Pope Memorial Humane Society-Cocheco Valley (https://popememorialcvhs.org), 221 County Farm Road, Dover, NH 03820.

A brief graveside ceremony will be held at the Needham Cemetery on Thursday, August 17th at 1pm followed by a reception (hors d’oeuvres with cash bar) at the Echo Bridge Restaurant in Newton, MA.  

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