Thomas Ray Robinson

Tom was born on February 7, 1947 in Tucson, Arizona to his parents Leslie and Avis Robinson. As a kid, Tom enjoyed getting into mischief, hunting jackrabbits in his backyard, and tying strings to cicadas just to hear them buzz and fly around like a kite. As a teenager, he enjoyed working on cars and fishing with his dad. Tom graduated from Rincon High School in 1965 and briefly attended Cochise College in Douglas, Arizona from 1965 to 1966 before dropping out to join the United States Army.

Tom attended basic training at the United States Army Training Center Air Defense in Fort Bliss, Texas before he was inducted into the Army on February 1, 1967 as a member of the 4th Infantry Division. He spent 8 months in Vietnam’s A Shau Valley, engaging in combat operations as an M60 machine gunner and jumping out of helicopters as a member of the 25th Infantry. After sustaining several injuries, he transferred to the US Army Standby Reserve in January of 1969 where he taught escape and evasion for a period of time. He was honorably discharged from service on January 1, 1973. Tom loved his country and was a proud veteran who enjoyed telling his story and honoring the memory of the many friends that he lost in combat.

After his service ended, Tom returned to Tucson and went to work for his dad at his Napa Genuine Auto Parts store. He continued to work for Napa for several more years even after his dad passed away on Christmas Eve in 1969. He spent over 24 years working at Tucson Diesel/Southwest Peterbilt in many different roles before deciding to start his own business that would allow him to pursue his passion for archery and hunting. Tom began Robinson Archery in his garage in 1997 and spent the next 25 years pouring his heart and soul into the sport of archery and touching the lives of thousands of people along the way. He truly loved what he did and all of the people that he helped to get into archery. He had a huge heart, especially when it came to helping kids or anyone that had served in the armed forces, and he had a way of telling the most incredible hunting stories to anyone who would listen.

Tom met Louise, the love of his life, in 1971 and they were married on August 20, 1972. They spent the next 50 years by each other’s side and were blessed with two children, Brian and Jennifer. As a family, they created many wonderful memories taking trips to the lake, camping, and fishing. Tom also cherished time spent hunting with his son, Brian, his daughter-in-law Tara, and his grandchildren, Abrielle and Wes. He truly loved his family and was deeply loved by them.

Tom was preceded in death by his parents, Leslie and Avis Robinson. He is survived by his wife, Louise, his son, Brian (Tara), his daughter, Jennifer (Chris), his grandchildren, Abrielle and Wesley, his sister, Sandra (John) Presley, and friends considered family, Ivan Seaton and Stephen Heins. The family wishes to thank the caring and compassionate staff at St. Joseph’s Hospital as well as the entire archery community for the outpouring of love and support.

A visitation for Tom will be held on Wednesday, March 8, 2023 from 5pm to 9pm at East Lawn Palms Mortuary, 5801 E Grant Road Tucson, AZ 85712. A service celebrating Tom’s life will take place on Thursday, March 9, 2023 at 4pm (also at East Lawn Palms) with a reception to follow. A GoFundMe has been established to raise money for Hero’s Rising Outdoors, Jesse’s Lil’ Warriors, and OE4A Outdoor Experience 4 All, as Tom experienced the generosity of these groups and always wanted to give back.

Fond memories and expressions of sympathy may be shared at www.eastlawnpalmsmortuary.com for the Robinson family.