Lisa Arzamendi and Bobby Welch are proof that true love can take place in the digital age. They took a chance on online dating and met their soulmate. They both agree that had they not stepped out of their comfort zones and given online dating a try, their paths would have never crossed.
It was 2018. Bobby had just purchased his first home in Walnut Creek and realized he wanted to find the right person to marry and start a family with. Lisa was living and working long hours as a physician in Los Gatos. Her medical assistant suggested she try a dating site geared towards working professionals. Lisa says her little sister happened to be visiting and also pushed Lisa to try online dating. “I reluctantly let her sign me up and set up my dating profile. Little did I know, my future husband-to-be was logging in one last time to cancel his membership.” Bobby says, “I happened to see her profile and had a sense she was the one, so I reached out to her.”
They began writing, then talking on the phone, and eventually met for dinner and a long walk down the Los Gatos Creek trail. They realized they both had similar family backgrounds, drove Toyota Priuses, knew all the words to Oldies songs, bought the same salsa and chili, and had played college rugby. Lisa answered her mother’s check-in text on their second date with “Mom, I think he might be the one!!!” The couple fell in love with each other instantly, and the rest is history.
Bobby proposed to Lisa via a lovingly coordinated plan of deceit. He told Lisa they would be traveling to his best-friend’s son’s 5th birthday party at The Pelican Point RV Park, in Half Moon Bay. “I wrapped the perfect little-boy present and everything! But Bobby had actually booked a suite at the Ritz-Carlton Hotel, just down the road. He had mailed a handwritten letter to my parents, informing them of his plan for proposal, and updated them by phone once the ring was on my finger. We had a wonderful getaway weekend of massages, room service, s’mores fireside on the patio, relaxation, and lots of champagne and celebration. Both our families were thrilled,” says Lisa.
Campbell, CA is where the couple first lived together. “Bobby chivalrously suffered the daily commute to San Francisco to allow me to remain closer to my work. We were married in 2019 at San Jose City Hall, on the one-year anniversary of our first date, then had a small but magical wedding ceremony with family and friends at Bobby’s parents’ house in Alamo,” says Lisa. The wedding was followed by a memorable honeymoon in Belize on Ambergris Caye. “Our stay happened to correspond with country singer Gary P. Nunn’s 7th annual Belize Bash – an intimate week hosted for a dozen or so of his biggest fans – so we purchased tickets and were able to enjoy private concerts and dinners with him and his guests,” Lisa says. “Belize was such a memorable place to visit, and we’d love to return someday,” adds Bobby.
Lisa was born and raised in Merced, CA, in California’s central San Joaquin Valley and says she grew up surrounded by cows in the agricultural valley. “My parents were first-generation Hispanics. My father, Fred, worked as a guidance counselor, English professor, and history instructor at Merced College. My mother, Maura, worked for Merced County as a mental health counselor, and for a time ran her own Merced clothing store. She was the eldest of seven children. I grew up in a house filled with love and am very close to my younger sister, Judy, and to my extensive Mexican-American family.”
Bobby was born in San Francisco and grew up in Alamo. He says San Francisco is in his family’s roots, “My mom was a 3rd generation native San Franciscan and she made my dad drive to San Francisco Children’s Hospital to deliver me and my brothers so she could keep the family legacy alive of being native-born San Franciscans. I’m the youngest of three boys, each separated by roughly 18 months. My brothers and I were all very close growing up, and remain so to this day. We share many friends, and will take any opportunity to arrange for a family get-together.”
Driven from the start, Lisa was a born overachiever. As a child, she excelled in school, graduating top of her class. She held several high school records for running cross country and track & field, and also studied art and piano. At Stanford University, Lisa graduated with honors, earning a Bachelor of Arts in Human Biology with a concentration in Health and Human Performance. She also represented Stanford on its varsity crew and rugby teams. Lisa went on to attend UC San Diego School of Medicine (receiving a federal NIH National Cancer Institute fellowship), and completed her internal medicine residency at Kaiser’s Santa Clara Medical Center. Her endocrinology training was completed at UC Davis Medical Center, and she practiced medicine in Capitola and Los Gatos before relocating to open her practice in Walnut Creek in 2020. “I love helping people with their health needs, and as a type 1 diabetic myself, I’m often able to connect with my patients more proficiently and effectively to accomplish this,” says Lisa.
A proud Monte Vista High School graduate, Bobby went to the University of San Francisco for his undergraduate degree. After working for a few years, he went on to get an MBA from Babson College just outside Boston, MA. Bobby has always been fascinated with the stock market and has over 15 years of experience in the financial services industry as a portfolio manager for foundations, endowments, corporate pension plans, and individual investors. He specializes in retirement planning and securities analysis, managing portfolios consisting of individually selected stocks and bonds. Many of his clients have been with him since he got started in 2008, and he gets great satisfaction knowing their financial needs are being met. Bobby says he enjoys the personal relationships he has formed over the years the most. “It feels like you almost become part of their families.” Most recently, in late 2022, the advisory firm he was a partner at was acquired by Wealth Enhancement Group, where he now works as Senior Vice President.
Bobby is a big fan of golf, which he says was one of the biggest draws to Blackhawk. “We’re currently equity golf members at the country club, and look forward to bringing our daughter out to the course when she’s a little older. In the meantime, I enjoy playing both Blackhawk courses and trying to lower my stubbornly high handicap.” Sports cars have been another passion for Bobby since as long as he can remember, having owned several over the years. Growing up, Bobby says his dad always had a sports car for the road and race cars in the garage. “I have fond memories of racing cars with him at Porsche and Shelby club events at the various track days they would sponsor. Now, I enjoy taking Lisa for road trips along the coast and throughout wine country in our Ferrari, preferably with the top down and the music up!”
A lifelong passion for long distance running (slowly evolved to marathon-length runs) has kept Lisa active and involved in many races throughout her life. She still enjoys running, hiking, tennis, rowing, and other outdoor activities. She recently had her first ski lesson in Tahoe, and is eager to try more of this with family and friends. Tennis at Blackhawk’s Tennis Villas will also be in her near future.
However what Lisa and Bobby enjoy more than anything is being parents to Sienna, their adorable auburn-haired three-year-old toddler. “Sienna attends preschool at Tree of Life Learning Center across from Sycamore Park. She loves mermaids, kitties, unicorns, running fast, soft blankets, dressing up like a princess, PlayDough, My Gym tumbling classes, dancing with Mommy, and being tickled by Daddy. This summer, she’s excited to go swimming and perhaps to even visit Disneyland for the first time,” says Lisa. In addition, the family has two chinchilla Persian cats, and one actual chinchilla.
Bobby and Lisa say they purchased their dream home in Blackhawk in May 2020 in the Oakridge neighborhood. “Having grown up in Alamo, Bobby was familiar with the East Bay, and suggested we look into Blackhawk. We knew as soon as we entered the gates that the home for sale there would be perfect,” says Lisa. “Our neighbors are always looking out for one another, helping each other out and regularly sharing gifts and homemade meals.” The Oakridge HOA coordinates get-togethers at least once or twice a year. They’ve given our family the best experience here we could ever have hoped for.”
Do you know a neighbor who has a story to share? Nominate your neighbor to be featured in one of our upcoming issues! Contact us at mscott@bestversionmedia.com.
By Megan Scott, Resident since 2010
Images courtesy of Welch Family