Thomas Eugene Robbins

Thomas (Tom) Eugene Robbins was born on July 22nd, 1932 in Blowing Rock NC to George and Catherine Robbins. He spent his youth in the North Carolina and Virginia. Tom attended Warsaw High School (graduated 1949) and Hargrave Military Academy in Chatham Virginia.
Tom attended Washington and Lee University prior to enlisting in the Air Force. He spent year as a meteorologist in Korea followed by two years in Nebraska for the Strategic Air Command. Tom returned to Richmond, VA. In 1957 he enrolled in Richmond Professional Institute (Now Virginia Commonwealth University. He graduated with honors in 1959.
Tom then joined the staff at The Richmond Times Dispatch. In 1967, he moved to Seattle to seek a M.A. at the Far East Institute of the University of Washington. Tom spent the next 5 years in Seattle (minus a year in New York) as an art critic for the Seattle Times. He wrote a column on the arts for Seattle Magazine as well as for Artforum and Art in America. He also hosted a radio show on KRAB-FM.
In 1967, Tom moved to South Bend, Washington where he wrote his first novel, Another Roadside Attraction. While writing his first novel, he worked the weekend copy desk of the Seattle Post-Intelligencer. In 1970 Tom moved to La Conner, Washington where he subsequently authored 9 novels and a memoir. Tom regularly published articles and essays in Esquire, Playboy, GQ and The New York Times.
In 1997, Tom won the Bumbershoot Golden Umbrella Award for Lifetime Achievement in the arts. In 2000 he was named one of the 100 Best Writers of the 20th Century by Writers Digest. In 2006, he was named a lifetime laureate of Seattle's Rainier Club. In 2012, he received the 2012 Literary Lifetime Achievement Award from the Library of Virginia. In 2015 Tom was awarded the Gala Awards Event at the Willamette Writers Conference.
Tom acted in three Alan Rudolph films. In 1993 his novel, Even Cowgirls Get the Blues, was made into a film by Gus Van Sant. Tom had a cameo in the movie. In 2018, he collaborated with Australian musician, Ben Lee, on the stage musical of B is For Beer. B is for Beer was performed in Los Angeles. The music was made into a CD.
On September 2, 2023, a "King for a Day" gala and parade was held in Tom's honor in his hometown of La Conner, Washington. The event raised money for the library. Tom's legacy lives on in children's art programs at The Museum of Northwest Art and the La Conner Swinomish Library. Tom also supported The Skagit Land Trust and SPOT Animal Rescue.
In 1994, Tom married Alexa D'Avalon. They shared many happy and adventurous years together. Tom leaves behind his wife, Alexa, along with his sons George (Rip), Fleetwood and grandson, Otto Robbins.
On February 9th, 2025, Tom peacefully passed away in his home. He was surrounded by family and his loyal pets. Tom was 92.
Memorial contributions can be made to Hospice of the Northwest. Tom hoped that people would remember him by reading his books.