Bob Emmett Nash

Bob Nash left on an extended fishing trip Jan. 21, 2022. He is expected to send fishing reports to his buddies from heaven.

Born in 1947 in Farmington, Nash was a 1965 graduate of Richfield High School. He attended barber school and then entered active duty in the Navy, where he continued to cut hair.

Nash founded the Barbers Inn in Wayzata in 1972. He moved the business from its original location in the Wayzata Bay Shopping Center to Lake Street and then to the Promenade, which is within a few hundred feet of the original shop. Along the way, Nash saw the town change dramatically around him. He retired when the pandemic began.

Nash was a central figure in the lake community, making hundreds of friends and customers over the years, including ordinary guys and local celebrities. Former Wayzata Mayor Ken Wilcox in 2015 declared April 11 as Bob Nash Day.

Whatever was happening in Wayzata or around Lake Minnetonka, Nash knew about it and shared it with everyone in the shop. Topics included the best fishing spots, hunting tales of all kinds, and other news around town. For many years, “Barber Bob” also worked as a guide at his Fishing Tonka service, which provided him with some of his favorite memories.

Nash spent close to a decade as a volunteer firefighter on the Long Lake Fire Department and volunteered with several local community organizations. In recent years, he was inseparable from his yellow lab and best friend Bagley, who went to the shop with him most days.

When asked if he wanted to write an obituary after learning he had lung cancer in 2014, Nash focused on the good stuff.

“Being an Irish man my whole life has been both a blessing and curse,” he wrote at the time. “But certainly more of a blessing.”

Nash, who was diagnosed with Parkinson’s more than a year ago, was part of a circle of friends in a Bible study group.

“I’ve been getting on board with the Lord recently, so hopefully I’ll be watching you guys from above,” he wrote. Don’t be sad for me, be happy.”

Nash is survived by his sister Sharon Burnham, daughter Kate Cunningham, son-in-law Patrick and granddaughter Cielo; son Brian Nash and grandsons Logan and Fletcher. He was preceded in death by his wife Patti.

A public celebration of life will be held Sunday, June 5 from 3 -6 at the American Legion in Wayzata, 949 Wayzata Blvd E, Wayzata, MN 55391. Information will be available at the Barber’s Inn or Wayzata American Legion, where Nash was a member for more than 40 years.