William "Robbie" Robinson

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Oregon State University

William Robinson Obituary

Robinson, William 'Robbie' 94 April 10, 1917 May 27, 2011 William "Robbie" Robinson was born in Lonerock, Ore., the son of Calvin Robinson and Sally Nylund. Robbie worked for the Portland Park Bureau for 30 years, 25 of them as head gardener. He loved flowering trees and shrubs and made sure the Portland parks were full of them. He was instrumental in the construction of Portland's Japanese Garden. Robbie brought in city crews to help landscape architect Professor P. T. Tono build the garden. Together, he and Professor Tono selected just the right stones for the Garden from all over Oregon. He volunteered countless hours at the Japanese Garden, serving on committees, leading tours, and helping with special events. In 1985, Robbie was awarded a medal by Emperor Hirohito of Japan for helping foster "civilization, friendship, and peace" through his work with the Japanese Garden. Robbie was a charter member of the American Rhododendron Society, founded in Portland in 1946. One rhododendron he hybridized in the 1940s was recently recognized by the Royal Horticultural Society: the "Robbie Robinson" rhododendron. He was a founding member of the Home Orchard Society, and he played an integral part in the establishment of the Heritage Tree program of Portland. Robbie received a Portland Beautification medal in 1979; in 1984, Mayor Ivancie proclaimed a day in his honor; and in 1995, Oregon State University added him to their career achievement registry. William "Robbie" Robinson is survived by his daughters, Joanne Robinson, Martha White and Nancy Izatt. He was preceded in death by his wife of 68 years, Lena Fossati Robinson, in March of 2011. He has four grandchildren and three great-grandchildren. A service will be held at 10 a.m. Wednesday, June 1, 2011, at Holy Family Catholic Church, Portland.

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Published by The Oregonian on Jun. 1, 2011.

Memories and Condolences
for William Robinson

5 Entries

Susan Skinner

June 14, 2011

Condolences to the families of the fabulous Mr. Robinson. I have the pleasure of knowing his daughter,Marty, and son-in-law, Fred, in Astoria, and their passion for plants and growing them inspires me. I love the stories about how, even in very old age, this man continued to learn.

Thanks, Robbie, for the spectacular Japanese Gardens and everything else you did for Cascadia, and for Marty, of course!

Sue Skinner
Astoria, Oregon

Dean Alterman, President, Portland Japanese Garden

June 10, 2011

Robbie's contributions to the Portland Japanese Garden are long and deep, from all of the work he did (and the unofficial help he provided) as the Garden was being built, to the thorough and careful photographs that he took over 40 years, and the tremendous knowledge that he shared with the Garden. The Garden will miss him -- he was a treasure. Our thoughts are with Robbie's family.

Paula Wheeler

June 2, 2011

I work at the Portland Japanese Garden as retail manager and buyer and have always loved the days "Robbie" was here in the Garden. He gave so selflessly of his time and memories. We'll miss him incredibly here.

Carol L. Otis M.D.

June 1, 2011

To the Robinson Family,
I am a volunteer at the Portland Japanese Garden and knew Robbie for the past 7 years. He contributed so very much to the Garden and it was a highlight of my day to see him when he came up there. He always had a great story to tell and was d of his family too. His photographs of the Garden are an enduring legacy that are cherished by many. I was fortunate to get to see him a few weeks ago when he came to our meeting and was honored with a new koi named in his honor at the Japanese Garden - Robbie-San. He will be greatly missed, but his legacy will be forever.

Marge Sokol

June 1, 2011

I was sorry to read about Robbie's passing but was not surprised when I saw that your mom passed away a few months ago. He missed her so very much. I knew your dad from Calaroga Terrace. My mom, Mary Viola, lived at Calaroga for almost 10 years until she passed away in May 2009. Robbie came to mom's memorial and said nice things about her. Your dad was always pleasant and a joy to talk with. I didn't know about his life/work history. What a blessing it was to know him. I will walk through gardens knowing now that Robbie was influential in making them happen.

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