Elmer J. "Robbie" Robinson

Mr. Robinson, 80, of Charlotte, NC, passed away at home from pancreatic cancer on August 28, 2011, with his wife and daughters by his side, along with a host of relatives. He was born on January 3, 1931 in a Kentucky hollow called Greasy Creek, the son of the late Delphia Robinson and the late Ray R. Allen of Martin KY.

At age 6 Robbie moved to Liberty, NC with his mother where he graduated from High School in 1949. During High School he was in the Naval Reserves and joined the Navy afterwards during the Korean conflict, serving four years. He completed boot camp in San Diego, married Nancy Lambert, and moved for further training to Jacksonville, FL. He then was stationed at the Naval Air Station in Weeksville, NC with the Lighter Than Air Squadron. After his discharge he moved with his wife and daughter to Raleigh NC and worked several jobs while a full time student at NC State University where he received a BS in Heating and Air Conditioning and added a second daughter to his family. Robbie went to work for York-Borg Warner, later to become the York Corporation. He received his training in York, PA and was moved to the New York office where he was soon promoted to sales and design, enabling him to buy his first home for his family in Fair Lawn, NJ.

Robbie soon tired of the "Park and Ride", the subway and the hustle and bustle and began to look for opportunities to move home to NC, and the opportunity came with a position to manage the Charlotte office. Robbie retired there in 1992 and continued to do some consulting work, but soon the desire to play in his vegetable garden became more important.

He and Nancy traveled all over the U.S. and many countries. He snowmobiled in Sun Valley, sailed the BVI, drove a moped in Bermuda, mastered the traffic at the Arch de Triumph in Paris, enjoyed wine and cheese in the vineyards along the Rhine, para-glided in Trinidad, climbed the ruins with his grandson in Machu Picchu, rode horseback in Argentina, climbed the steepest ruins of Tikal and at 78 drove a jet ski for the first time. He was respected as a sales person and sought after as a designer of refrigeration equipment. Robbie's family was his greatest joy. There was not a person Robbie didn't like, an animal he didn't dote on, a neighbor he would not help, a visitor he would not welcome, a child he did not enjoy or a Western he did not see.

He is survived by his loving wife of sixty years, Nancy Lambert Robinson; two daughters, Sharon Whitfield and her husband Chris of Charlotte, and Leslie Teddy and her husband Wayne, of Wayzata, MN; six grandchildren, Nicholas Whitfield of Charlotte, Mark Whitfield of Chicago, IL and Katherine Whitfield of Durham, NC, John Teddy and Emily of Marietta GA, William Teddy of Kansas City, MO and Caroline Teddy of Atlanta, GA; one great-grandson, Durham Teddy of Marietta, GA; and his large family of in-laws, the Lamberts, whom he dearly loved.

A service in celebration of his life will be held at 1:00 p.m. on Tuesday, September 6, 2011 at Providence Baptist Church with the Reverend Dr. R. Alton Cadenhead officiating. The family will receive friends following the service in the Fellowship Hall. Interment will be private.

Memorial contributions may be made to Liberty Firefighters Association, P.O. Box 667, Liberty, NC 27298, or to Kentucky Missions for Providence Baptist Church, 4921 Randolph Rd., Charlotte, NC 28211.

Condolences may also be expressed at www.harryandbryantfuneralhome.com