Robin LEECH

Your friends sure miss you Dr Leech aka Spiderman!!

I enjoyed my learnings from Robin in my student years. In fact he was a real mentor for my career path. I regret that I did out reach out and let him know. Please accept our sincerest condolences. He will always be remembered as a great man to me.

Robin was well known in the arachnological community, and appreciated for his enthusiasm for spiders, for his quirky sense of humor, and for his strong opinions on almost any subject. His magnus opus, a revision of the spider family Amaurobiidae, is still routinely used by everyone trying to identify these animals. He cared a lot about arachnids and those who study them, and he is definitely missed by the online arachnological community.

Robin was responsible for reconnecting many of our 1955 graduated Tamalpais high school class for the 50th reunion and kept up the information for the 60th. I had just learned of another of our graduate's demise, which also happened in June and wondered why there was no response from him. Google led me to this site. I am shocked and saddened. This is a great loss to our alumni from Marin County, California as well as to all his scientific peers that he connected with the rest of his eventful life. My sincere condolences to his wife Lorie and to his family.

Robin was an interesting man, complex in many ways and a great source of knowledge and often humour. My sincere sympathy to his wife Lorie.

Robin was one of VOC's and UBC's true characters. My fondest memory was when I was accepted by CUSO to go to Tanzania for two years in 1964. He came up to me in the halls of the Biology Building, I thought with some sort of congratulations,
but no, with a request to collect African spiders for him. So I departed in September of that year with a "hand-crafted" plywood box filled with multiple vials of spider embalming fluid and a little Leech-invented rubber tube/glass apparatus that would allow me (if I so chose) to suck up spiders from any surface and deposit them in said vials. Unfortunately, only worked for the "little ones" and I had to be creative even in getting vials for the big ones. And then there was Canada Customs. He was a unique character. Sincere condolences to his family.

Although I hadn't see Robin in many years, I remember his huge energy, humour and passion for critters from university days. I know this passion carried through to his family and to his science(s) too. When I sing from the VOC songbook I'll think of Robin. My condolences to his family.

I didn't know Robin well, but I did know him and that is enough. He was and remains a great guy!
Bill Shuttleworth, VOC Old-timer.

Hi Lorie, I was greatly saddened by Robin's passing. We go back many decades as you know and shared experiences in Antarctic places before they became regular tourist haunts. His love of science and the the discipline/ethics required for that occupation was one of out strongest bonds. With best wishes and much sympathy, Ian Stirling

Dear Lorie, So very sorry to hear that such a wonderful person, who gave so much happiness (and information!) to others, is no longer with us. His boundless good humour, even in the face of daunting circumstances, was a true measure of his strong and uniquely positive character. I'll always remember him.

Just found out that my old friend, Robin had died. A sad day. I had known him since the 70s.

With fond memories of time spent with Robin and thanks for the interest in small creatures he shared freely with our family.

A friend for 60 years, keeping in touch since we met at UBC. Always a pleasure to know together and apart. So sorry he had to leave us. He will be remembered fondly. And may memories of Robin comfort Lorie and the family.

We did not see eye to eye for many tears but latter in life we mellowed and I called him a friend.

Lorie, I am so sorry to hear of Robin's passing, he will be missed ... as the days and weeks pass, and as you return to life's routine, may you continue to feel comforted by the love and support of family and friends.

RIP Robin. You dared to be different and remained a true friend who spoke the truth. Sincere condolences to your family.
from your long-lost friend Nga de la Cruz

RIP Robin. You will be missed but not forgotten.

I will miss Robin's company and our correspondence. He truly had a larger-than-life personality that drew many people to him. He has set a precedent for remaining positive in all of life's circumstances - a characteristic that I hope that I can obtain someday.

My condolences to you and your family, My late Huband Len and I knew him from the C.H.A.S. meetings, Shirley Dinning

So many good times in the Great outdoors with Robin...he was a character!