Victor E. Robeson Jr.

VICTOR E. ROBESON JR.

Vic passed away on December 23, 2016 with his family by his side after a valiant fight against cancer. Vic was 85 years old. He is survived by his wife Joy; his children from a former marriage: Dr. Michelle Robeson of Seattle, WA; Lisa (Robert) Reames of Tombstone, AZ; Michael (Maria) Robeson of Tombstone, AZ; Sheri Robeson Abernathey of Tucson, AZ;his step children of Tucson, AZ: Lori (Brett) Klein, Alan (Sheila) Stead, and Roxanne Stead; his sisters Jo (Tom) Russell of Portsmouth, OH and Pat Downs of Scotia, NY;numerous grandchildren, great grandchildren, nieces and nephews. He was preceded in death by his sister Margaret "Peggy" Wheeler of Portsmouth, OH and his daughter Denise Robeson Marshall of Jamestown, MO.

Vic was born in Portsmouth, Ohio on the banks of the Ohio River on June 5, 1931 to the late Victor E. Robeson, Sr. and Harriett Lela Rodgers Robeson.Although he was a West Point candidate, Vic was drafted and joined the U.S. Marine Corps (1951-53). He served in Camp Lejeune, NC as a telephone cable splicer and missed being shipped to Korea by two weeks. After his discharge in 1953, he moved to Anchorage, Alaska and worked for Gustav Hirsch Organization as a technical representative to the U.S. Air Force. After three years, he returned to Indiana to complete his electrical engineering degree at Purdue University. During his accomplished career as a Professional Electrical Engineer, he spent over two years in Greenland installing the massive radar screens for the Ballistic Missile Early Warning System; served as Technical Lead on NASA's Kennedy Space Center Launch Pad A and was the Director of Physical Resources at the University of Missouri-Rolla, University of Oklahoma and the University of Arizona, where he met his wife Joy. They were married on October 2, 1982 in Tucson, AZ. Vic retired from Eastern Illinois University in 1995; he and Joy moved to Tombstone, AZ the same year.

During retirement, Vic continued engineering consultant work; served as President on the Tombstone Restoration Commission since 1998 and started Robeson Creations with his wife Joy, where they spent many pleasurable hours designing and crafting fine jewelry.

Vic had an adventurous spirit; his love for the Arctic was manifested by living and working in Alaska and Greenland. He spoke many times of his passion for Alaska, the beauty and wildlife touched his heart. Vic had a soft spot for all animals as many a stray cat would always find their way to his doorstep. He affected many lives in a positive manner and will be truly missed by his family and friends.

A Celebration of Vic's Life will be held on Saturday, 28 January 2017 at 11am at the Tombstone Community Congregational UCC Church, 116 E Allen Street, Tombstone, AZ 85638. Please join his family immediately following the services with a walk down historic Allen Street to honor Vic and his devotion to preserving the historical features of the town of Tombstone; food will be served at the Church following the walk.