William C. Robinson

William Clifton Robinson, 74, of Marion IN, died Tuesday September 10, 2024 at Lutheran Hospital in Fort Wayne. He retired from Environmental Management at Purdue University.
"Bill was born October 17, 1949 and raised in Clinton County, in the small town of Kirklin, IN. He was the only brother among his two full-siblings, Melissa Suzanne (Robinson) Koppelman and Melinda Elaine Robinson.
Bill had a pretty rough life growing up. An abusive relative and Bill's health were the culprits. It took many years of counseling to overcome the effects and consequences of his abuse, but he managed to deal with these issues as time passed. The relative later confessed and repented of his sins against Bill and others, due to Philip L. Robinson's evangelization of the relative.
Bill was a graduate of Purdue University in West Lafayette, majoring in English and minoring in Greek Mythology. He was the step-father of Christopher John Shaffer (a/k/a Robinson in some records) and was the biological father of Cassandra Blythe (Robinson) Segal.
He was preceded in death by his father, Paul Gene "Robbie" Robinson on March 16, 2006, and his mother, Lucella May (Howard) Young on March 7, 2014. Bill was also preceded by his step-son, Christopher John Shaffer, who committed suicide in 2007 and by Patty Jean Plank, his wife, who died of cancer in January of 2020. Bill was also preceded by his granddaughter, Aiyana Emily Gauvin, who was murdered in 2004, and by Melissa Suzanne Koppelman, who died one year to the day before him, on September 10, 2023.
Bill is survived by his daughter, Cassandra Blythe Segal; grandson, Devin William Robinson; granddaughter, Kira Alexis (Sliger) Pruitt; step-granddaughter, Ce'Nedra Ann (Robinson) Henrickson, and his sister, Melinda Elaine Robinson of Indianapolis.
Bill enjoyed shooting firearms, television, video games, fiction books, sci-fi, comic books, travelling, and sweet treats. He was an intellectual thinker, a talker, and had much to say about the topics of politics, religion, history and fiction. He was a Democrat in his political views. He had a sometimes crude and dark sense of humor.
I, his daughter's son, Devin William Robinson, write this in mourning. I was raised by Bill and his wife Patty Jean (Plank) Robinson. I cannot say that he was an excellent or outstanding father figure; he failed in many ways. But I can say that he did much better than his own father.
Bill had a lifelong battle with poor health. We were all thankful, yet surprised, that he lasted as long as he did. After a period of worsening pneumonia in the summer of 2004, he contracted a staph infection and Covid-19 in addition to the pneumonia. The nursing home in Marion had him transferred to Marion General Hospital, where it was determined that he needed greater care at Lutheran Hospital in Fort Wayne. After a few days, he looked to be recovering but took a turn for the worse in the end. He was aged 74 and died at 1:57am on Tuesday September 10, 2024 as me, my wife and Bill's first great grandchild were coming to visit him from Virginia.
Sadly, both Bill and his wife Patty, were not Christians. Many prayers and conversations were had in an attempt to persuade them of the truths of Christ. He never confessed Christ in my hearing. I can only hope that he repented in his last moments.
Though not the greatest of men, he was dearly loved and will be missed. He was the closest thing I had to a father, until I met my father when I was 18. I will never forget Looney Tunes and Edy's butter pecan ice cream, the selfless foot rubs he would give me to fall asleep, sitting on his lap while playing video games with him and my sister, and telling me the same story fifty times over, like the Bolshevik Revolution, or how I pee'd on the doctor's shoe when I was born." -Devin Robinson
There are no services scheduled. Divine Mercy Lake Avenue Funeral Home assisted the family with the cremation arrangements.