William B. Robbins

William B Robbins, 94, Morehead City, died Sunday, Aug 6, 2017, at Carteret Health Care, Morehead City, North Carolina

A private memorial service will be held at a later date

Mr Robbins is survived by his daughter Pamela R Phillips and her husband, Walter, of Newport, and son Thayer B Robbins and his wife Martha, of Darien, Conn; grandchildren Kristin R Wood and husband, Garrett, Leland; Jennifer Evans and husband, Michael, Wilmington; Mary S Robbins, Chapel Hill; Rebecca S Robbins and William G Robbins, New York City, and one great-granddaughter, Savannah Wood, of Leland

Mr Robbins was preceded in death by his wife, Janet, of 68 years in 2015, his parents, Elizabeth B Robbins and Charles F Robbins, and his brothers, Walt and Charlie

Born Aug 20, 1922, in Orange, NJ, Mr Robbins was graduated from the Choate School, Wallingford, Conn, attended the Babson Institute of Business Administration in 1941-42 before being commissioned a 2nd lieutenant in the US Army Air Corps where he instructed pilots in flying the B-24 Liberator for the duration of World War II

In 1945, following the war, with help from his father, he established Chatham Laboratories Inc in Whippany, NJ, which developed the first household powdered bleach approved for sale by A&P Grocery stores

In the late 1950's he joined Young & Rubicam Advertising in New York City as an account supervisor, working on General Foods, Procter & Gamble and the Borden Co At that time the Robbins moved from Chatham, NJ to Darien, CT, where the lived until 1974 The Robbins were active members of the Noroton Presbyterian Church, where Mr Robbins served as an elder In 1958 they joined the Wee Burn Country Club, and retained this membership until 1974 when they moved to North Carolina

In 1969, he joined Hardee's Food Systems, Rocky Mount, as vice president and director of marketing Developing a marketing department, he helped build Hardee's from 169 franchises in nine Southeastern states to over 600 in 36 states

Leaving Hardee's in 1974, he and his wife were among the first residents of Pine Knoll Shores where they had built a house on the ocean in 1973 Subsequently, they purchased a home in Green Valley, Ariz, migrating seasonally Selling these homes in 1988, they bought a house in Alburg, VT, on Lake Champlain, and began a seasonal migration between North Carolina and Vermont until finally settling in Morehead City in 2014

Mr Robbins received an honorary degree from Babson in 1995 He was the great nephew of AG Spalding, of baseball and sporting goods fame and was an avid golfer He was very active in bringing Teen Challenge, a faith-based drug and alcohol rehabilitation center, to the state of Vermont

In lieu of flowers, the family suggests that donations be made to the Noroton Presbyterian Church, Darien, CT 06820

 

- by the Family