Robert L. Nelson, 74, a lifelong Des Plaines resident who coached Little League Baseball for more than 20 years, died of cancer Thursday, June 19, in his home. Mr. Nelson was born with a condition that left him with hip trouble and a limp, which limited his activities. “He would listen to the radio” and got hooked on White Sox games, said his wife, Eva. Mr. Nelson coached 9- to 12-year-olds at Central School in Des Plaines from 1971 to 1992, winning 300 games. After graduating from Maine East High School in 1947, he worked as a laborer and driver for his father’s cement business, Nelson & Netherland in Des Plaines, until it went out of business in 1989. He then worked as a part-time courier at Oakton Community College in Des Plaines, a position he held for 13 years until his retirement in March. He is also survived by a son, Daniel; a daughter, Barbara Karacic; a sister, Bette Roth; and three grandsons. Prayers will be said at 9:15 a.m. Tuesday in Hills Funeral Home, 745 Graceland Ave., Des Plaines. Mass will follow at 10 a.m. in St. Mary Catholic Church, 794 Pearson St., Des Plaines.
