Laurence Goodrich Robbins

Laurence Goodrich (“Larry”) Robbins of Swampscott, formerly of Marblehead and Wenham, passed away peacefully on May 28, 2021, after a long struggle with Lewy Body Disease. Larry is survived by his wife Deirdre (Higgins Harris); his daughters Elizabeth (Josaphat) Tango of Newton, Massachusetts and Sarah (Durward) Sobek of Bozeman, Montana; and his stepson Geoffrey (Erin Cullen) Harris of Seattle, Washington. Larry is also survived by ten grandchildren and two great grandchildren, and by four siblings in Connecticut, Anne Jackson of Fairfield, Henry (Carol) Robbins of Madison, Bruce Robbins of Hartford, and Patricia (George) Clark of North Stonington.

Larry was born in Fairfield, Connecticut to Donald and Anne Robbins. He attended Dartmouth College for a B.S. in Economics, where he was a member of Alpha Chi Alpha fraternity; MIT’s Sloan School for an MBA; and the Stonier School of Banking. He was employed in the technical side of the financial industry for many years, first at the Federal Reserve in Boston, then at the Bank of Boston. He then entered the consulting industry, working for Nolan Norton, Rubin Associates, Gemini Consulting, Meritus Consulting, and Computer Sciences Corporation until his retirement in 2009.

Larry’s primary passion was his family. Sarah and Beth recall many happy memories growing up. He was a kind and generous man and could always be counted on for thoughtful advice.

Larry’s secondary passions were many, and included music and sailing. He played the piano and the recorder. He loved to play duets with his daughter Beth, and he had both a family recorder group and an outside group in which he played for years. His extended family is very musical, with each child and grandchild playing at least one instrument, and several being singers too.

Larry belonged to the Corinthian Yacht Club since 1982. He raced with the Rhodes 19 fleet for years. His racing partner and dear friend Joel Spear predeceased him. Larry and Deirdre’s home in Marblehead earned a plaque as a “Rhodes 19 party house.” His passion for sailing began with his family of origin, and included teaching sailing at the former Pleasant Bay Sailing Camp on Cape Cod. He went on many cruises with his family, usually in the role of skipper.

Just as he loved to be on the water in summer, he loved to be on the slopes in winter. He patiently taught his daughters to ski, always encouraging them to carve graceful turns rather than bombing down the hill. He was known for his skillful and graceful form.

Larry also enjoyed travel. Combining his work with their travel, Larry and Deirdre spent a year in London; and two months each in Canberra, Australia and Bangkok, Thailand.

Larry was active in the Explorers’ Group at Salem State University, and was a faithful communicant at St. Michael’s Episcopal Church in Marblehead, and before that Christ Church in Hamilton. He served as an usher and assistant treasurer at St. Michael’s, and sang in the choir at Christ Church.

Burial and memorial services will be private. Visiting hours will be open to the public on Friday, June 11 from 2-5 p.m. at the Eustis & Cornell Funeral Home, 142 Elm Street, Marblehead. In lieu of flowers, donations in Larry’s memory may be made to St. Michael’s Episcopal Church, 26 Pleasant Street, Marblehead MA 01945, or to Lewy Body research, designating the gift for “Dr. Steven Gomperts, DLB Research", via websites listed below.