THOMAS M. ROBINSON

ROBINSON, THOMAS M. Thomas More Robinson passed away on April 29, 2023, in Paris, France, at the age of 86, following an accident. Predeceased last year by his beloved wife, Erna Paris, he is survived by his stepchildren Michelle Paris and Roland Paris (Katie); grandchildren Julia, Simon and Jacqueline; brother Gerard Robinson in Newcastle, England; brother-in-law Peter Newman (Renée Bouthot) and sister-in-law Jill Solnicki; and numerous nieces and nephews. Born in 1936 to Alban and Emily Robinson in Houghton-le-Spring, a mining town in northeast England, Tom was the second youngest of eleven siblings, nine of whom predeceased him: Sydney, John, Terry, Francis, Winifred, George, Lester, Joseph, and Bernard. The family's encyclopedia was his childhood window onto the wider world. He went on to study classics and philosophy at the Universities of Durham and Oxford, spending summers as a tour guide in Europe. His adventures continued when he moved to Canada in 1964 to teach first at the University of Calgary and then, four years later, at the University of Toronto, where he spent the rest of his academic career, ultimately as Professor Emeritus of Philosophy and Classics. He also held honorary doctorates in Humane Letters from the University of Athens and in Sacred Letters from Trinity College, University of Toronto. He authored nine books, including Plato's Psychology, and was past president of both the International Plato Society and the Society for Ancient Greek Philosophy. He also received the Aristotle Award, bestowed by the Greek government on non-Greek nationals for significant contributions to the understanding of Greek thought and culture. Tom was blessed with a brilliant, roving, creative mind and a boundless enthusiasm for art, architecture, astronomy, linguistics (he spoke nine languages) and history. He was fascinated by the natural world and could often be seen with binoculars in the early hours of the morning in Algonquin Park searching for his favourite warblers. He was enthusiastic about music and literature and became a published playwright in his later years. His passion for life ran deep. Most of all, Tom was kind, generous, and loving. He will be deeply missed by his family, friends, and colleagues in Canada, Britain, and around the world. His Funeral will be held at Mount Pleasant Funeral Centre in Toronto, on Sunday, May 7th, at 10:30 a.m. Donations may be made to Plan International Canada.