James Travis Robbins

GREENSBORO, N.C. — James Travis “Jim” Robbins of Greensboro, North Carolina, died surrounded by his family on his 70th birthday, Sunday, Nov. 25, 2012, in Greensboro. He had fought Parkinson’s disease and Lewy Body Dementia for nearly 14 years.

A funeral Mass will be celebrated at 2 p.m. Tuesday, Nov. 27, at Holy Trinity Episcopal Church in Greensboro with a reception following at the church. According to his wishes, his body was donated for medical research at Duke University in Durham, N.C., and later will be cremated.

He was born Nov. 25, 1942, in Breckenridge, Texas, to Travis Alson Robbins and Jim Corene Norton Robbins.

He was raised on ranches near Breckenridge in Stephens County, where ancestors on both sides of his family had settled as pioneers in the 19th Century. He attended Breckenridge schools and graduated from Breckenridge High School in 1960.

He completed the Ranch Management Program at Texas Christian University in Fort Worth, Texas, and he earned a bachelor’s degree in industrial arts at North Texas State University in Denton, Texas. From 1963 to 1966, he served in the U.S. Army at Fort Polk, La.; Aberdeen Proving Ground in Maryland; and Fort Richardson in Alaska.

He met Cynthia Jean Maxwell when both were teaching at Polytechnic High School in Fort Worth, and they married April 3, 1971, at First Presbyterian Church in Fort Worth. They had two children. The family lived in Fort Worth until 1973 and then spent the next 34 years in Breckenridge. In 2008, he and his wife moved to Greensboro.

During his working life, he taught high school, worked in construction and the oil business, and retired after spending more than 20 years working for the City of Breckenridge. For many years he ran cattle, grew large gardens and worked on countless ranchland improvements.

He served numerous terms as a member of the vestry of St. Andrew’s Episcopal Church in Breckenridge and the Breckenridge Fine Arts Center Board of Directors, and for many years he was active in parent-teacher groups, student booster clubs and other civic causes. He had an intense love of nature and craftsmanship. He was devoted to hobbies including woodworking, leather tooling, blacksmithing and other artisan crafts.

He read deeply about the history of Texas and the American West. He was particularly interested in the history of ranching, firearms, hunting and marksmanship. He liked to travel and especially enjoyed many trips to New York City and the Caribbean.

He is survived by his wife of 41 years, Cynthia Robbins of Greensboro; son, Jason Robbins of St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands; daughter and her partner, Julie Robbins and Mick Pinedo of Greensboro; grandson, Juan Miguel “Mickey” Pinedo II of Greensboro; sister and brother-in-law, Mozelle Foy and J.W. Foy Jr. of Seymour, Texas; brother, Norton Robbins of Fort Worth; brother-in-law Kenneth Maxwell and his wife, Jenise Maxwell, of Fredericksburg, Texas; brother-in-law Stephen Maxwell of Fort Worth; and many nieces, nephews, other relatives and friends.

He was preceded in death by his parents.

The family wishes to thank his longtime home health aide, Wanda Young, and the medical professionals and staff of WhiteStone Care and Wellness Center and Hospice & Palliative Care of Greensboro for their dedicated skill, kindness and support.

The family has requested that, in lieu of flowers, those who wish to remember him with a memorial make a contribution to the Lewy Body Dementia Association,
 912 Killian Hill Road SW, Lilburn, GA 30047 (www.lbda.org) or to the donor’s favorite charity.

On line condolences may be made at www.haneslineberryfuneralhomes.com.