Dr. Ward R. Robinson

Dr. Ward Rhyne Robinson
Cary
Ward R. Robinson, 91, died April 26, 2012 in Apex. He was a native of Catawba County and was born October 11, 1920. He was the son of Rena Ikerd Robinson and Fenton Harrison Robinson and the grandson of John Clarence Ikerd and Edith Belle Rhodes Ikerd. His wife, Dorothy, predeceased him in 2005. Ward and Dorothy had lived happily together for 60 years.
Ward's education experiences were numerous. He graduated from Startown Farm Life High School and Balls Creek Commercial School in 1937 and 1938. Prior to World War II, he attended Lees McRae College and Furman University, acquiring an AA and BA degrees. At Furman, in 1940, he met Dorothy Watson who he would marry in 1944.
While at Lees McRae, he was the Cross Country and Track Captain. At the Jr. College Conference meet in 1939 at Davidson College, he established records in the mile, half-mile, and was a member of the award winning team in the mile relay. In 1940, he repeated these achievements and added on the two mile run (a record).
In the military service, he attended Fire Control School in Newport, RI, Subchaser Training School in Miami, FL and Midshipman School in Plattsburg, NY. At the latter school, he was commissioned an Ensign in the USNR.
He served one year at the South Atlantic Repair Base at Bahia, Brazil, a brief time on the U.S.S. Albemarle, (a seaplane tender named after Albemarle Sound, NC) and the U.S.S. Tenacity, a British gun boat and HMS Grindal (destroyer escort). His last year was served in the North Atlantic acquiring weather information for relay to General Eisenhower's headquarters in England (used to help determine the Normandy invasion).
Upon his discharge from service, he entered NCSU and acquired a BS, MS, and Ed.D. which certified him to teach Vocational Agriculture and other vocational subjects. He was acknowledged for his academic achievements and selected for induction into Kappa Phi Kappa scholastic fraternity.
Ward taught vocational agriculture for 6 years at Woodland-Olney High School in Northampton County and 12 years at Bunker Hill High School in Catawba County. Many of his students achieved state awards in the Future Farmers of America at the local and district levels, several serving as state officers.
In 1966, he joined the SDPI as a consultant for Vocational Education. In 1979, he was elected as the state president for the NC Vocational Teachers' Association. He was also on the faculty at NCSU.
Ward was active in community life in all the towns in which he lived; churches, schools, and civic organizations, serving as teacher, chairperson of committees, etc. In 1966, his family was chosen as the Family of the Year for the Western NC Methodist Conference.
His last years were spent in the Rex Rehabilitation and Nursing Care facility in Apex, NC. He is survived by daughter, Cindy Robinson, Susan and husband Wayne Jernigan; grandchildren Christopher Johnston, April and husband Ren Russell, Michael Ward Jernigan; and great grandson Holden Ward Russell. He is also survived by two aunts, Blanche Ikerd and Gladys Ikerd. He was predeceased by a grandson, Kyle Johnston, and also many cousins.
A Celebration of his Life will be held 11:00 a.m. Monday, April 30, 2012 at White Plains United Methodist Church in Cary. A graveside service will be held 11:00 a.m. Tuesday, May 1, 2012 at Catawba Memorial Park in Hickory.
The family will receive friends from 3-5 p.m. Sunday, April 29, 2012 at Brown-Wynne Funeral Home in Cary.
In lieu of flowers, memorials may be sent to Lees McRae College "Scholarship Fund", PO Box 128, Banner Elk, NC 28604 or to White Plains United Methodist Church "Scholarship Fund", 313 S.E. Maynard Rd., Cary, NC 27511.