Kenneth Robinson

Kenneth "Ken" Patrick Robinson of Greenlawn, NY passed away peacefully in his sleep at home on January 4, 2025 at the age of 91.

He was born on December 12, 1933 in Hackensack, NJ, the elder son of William C. and Margaret A. Robinson. Ken was active in the Boy Scouts growing up and eventually earned the rank of Eagle Scout. He often recounted the story of his pet crow, "Blackie", who lived for a time in a cage in the backyard of the family home in Wood Ridge until it became too noisy and was released at Boy Scout camp.

Ken received a full scholarship to attend Rutgers University where he majored in electrical engineering and graduated in 1955. He earned a varsity letter in Cross Country. A favorite memory from his college years was the summer when Ken, along with 2 friends, bought an old Cadillac hearse and drove it cross-country to California.

Ken was involved in ROTC and shortly after college served for 2 years as a lieutenant in the Air Force at a radar base south of the DMZ in Korea (the war had ended by this time.)

After being discharged from the Air Force, Ken joined Hazeltine Corporation, a defense electronics company on Long Island where he spent the majority of his professional life. He started as an electrical engineer, attended law school in the evenings, transitioned to the patent law department and was eventually named a Vice President and General Counsel. After Hazeltine moved its corporate headquarters to St. Louis, Ken spent the remaining years of his career as a patent attorney at a Long Island firm and then in solo practice.

Ken met his wife, Cathy (Lund), on a blind date, set up by his brother, David (who recently preceded him in death), and his future wife, Fay, who was a nursing school classmate and dear friend of Cathy. Ken impressed her in part by asking if she thought that he could get the mounted police in Central Park to give chase by speeding. Ken and Cathy were married for 54 years prior to her passing in 2015. One of the things they enjoyed most together was driving from Long Island to spend time at their cabin in Jamaica, Vermont.

Ken was introduced to jazz in college and remained a fan for the rest of his life. He particularly enjoyed big band artists such as Count Basie, Duke Ellington and Benny Goodman. Inspired perhaps by Blackie, Ken was always interested in birds and enjoyed watching them at his backyard feeders; he could identify just about any species you might see. Ken had a subtle, deft sense of humor. He enjoyed the outdoors and loved canoeing in the Adirondacks and later near their cabin in Vermont. In recent years Ken enjoyed meeting with a local group of retired engineers; he volunteered as a Suffolk County nursing home ombudsman/resident advocate.

Ken is survived by his son, Jim, daughter, Sue, son-in-law, Dominic, and twin grandsons Will and Nick.

Ken was a consistent, caring, reliable, supportive presence in the lives of his family and he will be dearly missed.

Visitation Friday from 3 - 7 PM at Brueggemann Funeral Home - 522 Larkfield Road, East Northport. Funeral Service Saturday, 10:00 am at Brueggemann Funeral Home, East Northport. Private Cremation to follow. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Audubon Society.