William Keith Robinson (A.K.A. Blasting Bill) was born July 17, 1926 in Seattle, Washington. Bill died on August 18, 2018 at his home in Phoenix, Arizona. He was a 1944 graduate of Franklin High School in Seattle, and a 1953 graduate of the University of Washington, with a Bachelor of Science in Mathematical Statistics. While at the UW he was a member of Sigma Alpha Epsilon fraternity, and a Purple Shield and Oval Club member.
Bill was in the Army Air Corps during World War II. From 1946 through 1949 he was an Engineer at Boeing in the Vibration and Flutter Unit. Through a recommendation from one of his professors, he started his insurance career in Seattle, in December 1949, as a student actuary in the firm of Wendell A. Milliman, Consulting Actuary. Bill then joined Old American Life Company, in Seattle, and was their Actuary for nine years. Over the next twenty-eight years he served a number of insurance companies as the CEO, or COO, or Actuary. In 1987, he returned to Milliman & Robertson as a Consulting Actuary for their Phoenix office. After retiring from M&R in 2000 he worked ten years for the State of Arizona Insurance Department as their Life and Health Actuary, and finally retired in 2010. Over sixty four years of continuous employment! He truly enjoyed his work.
He was married twice; first to Mary Myrtle Granat in 1950 for eleven years, and then to Gloria Elaine Balsz in 1962 for thirty-eight years. Both wives have passed away. He is survived by his wonderful family of 10 children, 13 grandchildren, and 10 great-grandchildren. His children are Kathryn Anne Hurley (Steve), R. Kenneth Robinson (Sabrina), William K. Robinson, Jr. (Michelle), Richard P. Robinson, Lynn Anne LaRiviere (Jim), Gregory M. Robinson (Steve), Douglas R. Robinson, William C. Robinson, Victoria Susan Coughlin (Chris), and Jonathan E. Robinson (Kathy).
Bill loved books, and discussions on science, mathematics, and ancient astronomy. He could often be found outside with one of his telescopes showing family and friends all the beauty of the heavens. He was also a frequent author of historical papers on science and astronomy.
Bill collected hyperbolic slide rules, and was a Fellow of the Oughtred Society, an international organization “dedicated to the preservation and history of slide rules”. He was always intrigued by how powerful these little devices were, even after the age of calculators and computers began.
Bill was a master storyteller, capturing the attention of all when he started to reminisce. Family and friends recall his infectious smile and laughter as he recounted stories from his personal and professional life.
Bill will now join his wife Gloria in the mausoleum at St. Francis Cemetery, Phoenix. He had a very happy and full life. His family and friends will dearly miss his smiling face.
A memorial service to celebrate his life is planned for 2:00pm Saturday, October 6, 2018 at A.L. Moore-Grimshaw Bethany Chapel, 710 W. Bethany Home Rd.
Donations in Bill’s memory can be made to one of the charities below:
Literacy Volunteers of Maricopa County, Inc.: http://www.literacyvolunteers-maricopa.org/donors.htm
Arizona Friends of Foster Children Foundation: https://www.affcf.org/donate/
Disabled American Veterans: https://www.dav.org/help-dav/
