Meet The Family

Click on a name in the photo to jump to information about that person.

Joe and Rita reside in Gastonia, NC. Joe's a retired chemical engineer and former Head of Development at the once famous Lithium Corporation of America (now a subsidiary of FMC Corporation ) and Rita is a semi-retired Homemaker (semi-retired since Joe still hangs around the house!!). Joe and Rita are the quintessential patriarch and matriarch of the Nelli brood (all EIGHT of them). This family photo was taken Christmas week 2003 at John's house in Cary. Joe keeps extremely busy with his volunteer work with the church (St. Michael's Catholic Church), the Kiwanis Club and the National Right to Life Committee. He finally retired from leading the youth basketball program he started at St. Michael's Elementary school for his kids over 40 years ago. Rita spends her time keeping Joe out of the way and making grandious plans for family vacations. She's organized family excursions to Disney World, Salt Lake City, Utah and Breckenridge, Colorado for skiing, and even Spain and Italy!! She's spent a lot of time the past twenty two years hopping from one child to another to help out when a grandchild was born. Joe and Rita can be contacted via our Contact Us page. (Back to photo)

Rob and Eileen reside in South Windsor, CT with their two daughters and son. Rob's a computer scientist for Computer Sciences Corporation and Eileen works as a metallurgist for Pratt & Whitney. She previously spent many years as a food services worker for the South Windsor Board of Education at the local elementary school. Rob's the author of the Nelli Family Home Pages and enjoys "wasting" his time away on the Internet (so the kids claim). Rob has finally gotten to retire from coaching the kids in a multitude of sports and teaching CCD but continues to volunteer time with the St. Vincent dePaul Society, playing volleyball and basketball, keeping the Nelli Family Web Pages up to date and running his part-time internet venture: Superior Software Solutions! Eileen enjoys singing in the church choir and the South Windsor Community Chorus, playing golf, volleyball and softball and making expertly decorated cakes (see Joe and Rita's 50th Anniversary cake in the photo albums). Rob owns a 1975 Triumph Spitfire that he also spends a lot of time on keeping in shape for those top-down cruises during the warmer months in New England. Their oldest daughter, Cheryl, attends the University of Connecticut and their son, Drew, attends Central Connecticut State University. Rob and Eileen can be contacted via our Contact Us page. (Back to photo)

John (deceased) and Pat reside in Cary, NC with their four sons. John was an exceptional man whose life and love touched the heart of many. Although he lost his courageous battle with brain cancer on October 8th, 2004, his impact lives on in everyone his life blessed in his 47 short years. John's life continues to be celebrated on the web at the Team Nelli website. Pat is a homemaker and is actively involved in community programs such as Cary Pop Warner Football and Cheerleading and Angels Among Us 5K and Family Walk to benefit the Preston Robert Tisch Brain Center at Duke. Pat can be contacted via our Contact Us page. (Back to photo)

Jamie and Kathy reside in Gastonia, NC with their two sons and two daughters. Jamie is a production manager for B.F. Goodrich and Kathy is a homemaker and former schoolteacher at St. Michael's Elementary School. Jamie keeps busy by coaching his kids in soccer, basketball and baseball and a former member of the School Board at St. Michael's Elementary School. Kathy is usually totally consumed with carpooling the kids to all their activities and helping with the various fund-raisers and volunteer activities at St. Michael's Elementary School. Their oldest son, Patrick, attends Wake Forest University and their oldest daughter, Katie Gray, attends Appalachain State University. Jamie and Kathy can be contacted via our Contact Us page. (Back to photo)

Tom and Cortney reside in Fishersville, VA. Tom is a manufacturing engineer for Walker (mufflers, etc.). Cortney is a teacher for special education students with learning disabilities and is in her 27th year!! She also does some consultative work in the area of behavior management and in student assessment. She enjoys shopping, reading, traveling, and entertaining. When he's not stranded trying to resurrect life into his antiquated off-road vehicles, Tom likes to go fishing and camping (sounds like the necessary survival skills needed for his choice of vehicles). Tom and Cortney can be contacted via our Contact Us page. (Back to photo)

Chris and Michelle reside in The Woodlands, TX with their daughter and son. Chris holds a doctorate in chemical engineering and works for Huntsman Corporation. Chris and Michelle enjoy swing dancing (as well as country and western, waltz, polka, jitterbug, salsa and merengue). Chris and Michelle can be contacted via our Contact Us page. (Back to photo)

Bill and Kristen reside in Simpsonville, SC with their son and three daughters. Bill's a CPA for Safety Components International. Bill likes to golf and spends his vacation time returning home to take on Joe in a round whenever he can. Bill also likes blues music and Elvis (go figure). Bill and Kristen are both heavily involved with their kids' school activities. Bill and Kristen can be contacted via our Contact Us page. (Back to photo)

Steven resides in Ann Arbor, MI where he works as a research scientist for the Atmospheric, Oceanic, and Space Sciences Department at the University of Michigan.  He is working with many talented scientists to develop a surface to exobase atmospheric model of Mars.  He is also continuing his work concerning water on Mars and the transport of atmospheric argon on Mars. He attended school at New Mexico State University earned his Ph.D. in Astronomy in August, 2006. Steven earned his Masters of Science in Astronomy in 2002 and graduated in 1999 from Erskine College with BA degrees in Physics and Spanish.  Steven is an avid outdoorsman. He recently returned from hiking across almost 300 miles of Northern Spain to the shrine of Santiago de Compostela, where he was shot by hunters along the way. No fear, he is alive and well and was not deterred from his final destination of Santiago.  Steven is an Eagle Scout who had the opportunity to attend Philmont during his scouting days in high school. He also had the opportunity to drag Joe along on many of his hiking and camping expeditions. Steven remains active in rock climbing and backpacking even beyond his scouting years. He has hiked and biked across all of Southern New Mexico and even managed to win the 2003 Las Cruces City Soccer Championship. In the past Steven went abroad to study in Spain. While there, he became fluent in Spanish and ran with the bulls at Pamplona!! Steven can be contacted via our Contact Us page. (Back to photo)