Rolan Robert Nelson

Rolan ‘Rolly’ Robert Nelson, 76, passed away at home in Stevensville, Michigan on Thursday August 15, 2019. Arrangements have been entrusted to Starks and Menchinger Chapel. Those wishing to leave a condolence online may do so at www.starks-menchinger.com Rolan was born on March 20, 1943 in Battle Creek, Michigan to the late Lester and Geraldine ‘Geri’ (Maxson) Nelson. Rolan was a steadfast rock, around which his family flowed. “I will lovingly remember his dry, witty banter and his calm presence in my life.” - Jan Rolan is survived by his wife, Jan, son, Dane (Amanda) Nelson, 2 step-grandchildren, Majenta and Xavier, of Grand Rapids, daughter, Karly Nelson, of Grand Rapids, sister-in-law, Judy Nelson of Stillwater, Oklahoma, 2 nieces, Nancy (Nelson) Moore and Jennifer (Nelson) Mailath of Tulsa. Rolan was preceded in death by his brother, Norman Lester Nelson. Rolan married the love of his life, Jan Louise Kirkdorfer, on December 18, 1977, in Saint Joseph, Michigan. They met at the former Travel Inn Captain’s Table Restaurant and Lounge in Benton Harbor where Rolan was general manager for many years. As the hot shot in the biz, he guided people to be cordial but never too nice in order to hold respect as a manager. He continued to hold management positions in the hospitality industry but slowly grew out of the "rat pack look". Rolly would sing “lalalala” as he walked around work and home. He hummed to Jan everyday from his chair while he did his Sudoku “homework.” He loved his smokes, 7/7 cocktails, blackjack, donuts, cookies, more candy, sports tv, rockin' out to Pink Floyd and telling barely appropriate jokes/stories. He talked shop and never let the bedazzled bullshit from the world get past him. He was our smart cookie. Rolly grew up on Goguac Lake in Battle Creek playing ice hockey, swimming, and water skiing with his brother, Norm. His leadership skills were apparent from a young age as he was high school class president for several years. Rolan graduated from Lakeview High School in 1961, and attended Albion College. He would run the town with the good ol’ boys playing pool all night then follow it up with breakfast and more pool at the diner. He played pool with the top dogs in the Midwest. Rolan beat the West Michigan University champion 8 to10 games, wiping out all of his and his friend’s money. He was our wild boy. Dad would ask Dane “how’s my partner doin'”. Dad taught Dane how to shoot pool at 15 years old and took down the best players to win at local bar tournaments at age 16. Dane inherited dad's 1965, Willie Hoppe cue and continues to use it on the tables. Our sassy daddy taught us to always order extra, extra toppings for our ice cream and pizzas, ride dangerous roller coasters, gamble at the casino, eat ten sweet treats in a sitting, and still take life seriously. His reactions to our adventures came with a “hell yes” laugh. Daddy called Karly his petunia. He taught her the love of cards and the fast life in the restaurant biz. Their last daddy-daughter date was with Evan, her dreamboat. Dad got his classic order of a reuben sandwich with a side of onion rings then got a fast ride down to the casino in a hot rod. He’d sit at the blackjack table for hours with his smokes. Karly played roulette that day and he came over to watch, as she always played all family numbers but randomly played black 15. Now it’s a family number as he passed on the 15th. He will always be our winner. Sports were always on and he rooted for MSU in support of Dane. Basketball was his fave “hitting those shots” but any sports action kept his interest. Over the years the TV’s volume got louder but then became softer. He hated commercials and would watch the muted pictures with captions. He wore t-shirts with a front pocket for his smokes with his cocktail pants, and would ask for his "fuzzy" when it was cold (his cotton Henley and flannel pj pants). Trying to get a birthday/Christmas list from him was tricky. He was a simple man who never, ever asked for a thing. Dad gave us low fives as a greeting, with his arm extended toward us. Shortly after our welcome greetings, dad often gave us serious talks about getting jobs that paid the bills and asked us about being responsible with life decisions. This was his dad card. He was our working man and took pride in his strong work ethic. Dad had Dane and Karly working at age 15 and taught them how to run with all the professional movers and shakers. He instilled many traditional values and life lessons in those surrounding him. He spent his last days watching black and white Perry Mason marathons that are still recording on the dvr. He passed while knowing his family is in a happy, secure spot in life. It’s crazy cool that every aspect of how he left us was exactly how he wished it to happen. There will be no service. Rolly’s request for a service to honor him will be time spent visiting with his family over cocktails at a table full of various food plates and desserts. We promise to carry on his dreams for us to live life to the fullest and party hard. As a family, we spent many wonderful times together with love and laughter. He will always be singing his tunes and humming in our memories. He was our one of a kind.