William L. Robinson

William "Bill" L. Robinson
10/26/2025
William "Bill" L Robinson, 97, passed away peacefully on a sunny autumn afternoon on Sunday, October 26, 2025, at The Maples in Frankfort, Michigan. He embraced his life and would say often with his big wide smile, "I've had a good life" until his final days.
Bill was a masterful storyteller and even at age 97 always had new stories to captivate and delight his friends and family. It's only fitting that Bill's life is quite the story itself.
Born in Elberta on July 13, 1928, Bill's family moved to the Detroit area in his early childhood for a job opportunity and returned to Elberta when his father started working for the Ann Arbor railroad. From a young age, Bill was an active outdoorsman. He learned to fish, trap muskrats, and hunt from his father, grandfather, and great-grandfather. When he wasn't in the woods hunting, fishing or on the water trapping muskrats, he was a little rascal peddling newspapers on his Elberta route. He had a strong work ethic from day one and earned any money he could until he was old enough to work on the car ferries. Bill was also an athlete and played baseball, football, basketball, and pole vaulted. He recalled a vivid memory of coming back from Wisconsin on the car ferry and seeing and hearing the townspeople of Frankfort shouting, yelling, and dancing in the streets that World War II was over.
Bill married his high school sweetheart, Betty Lou Holtrey, on February 16th, 1946. They lived in an apartment above the Crescent Bakery and he worked for the A&P grocery store on Main Street. Their daughter, Lynda Sue, was born on October 20, 1948. During these early married years, Bill built his first house on Corning Avenue with help from his father-in-law, who taught him to never throw a nail or board away. "You can always straighten out a nail and reuse it". He also continued to play plenty of baseball on a local men's team that travelled around northern Michigan and to Wisconsin on occasion. In 1951, their young family moved to Toledo where he took a job with Food Town. His grocery store experience helped him with this early career and he went on to manage several stores until 1974.
Bill's wife, Betty, got training and certification as a beautician. Bill's talent for business and hard work came in handy when he helped Betty set up two beauty salons.
In the late '50's, their daughter was diagnosed with a rare blood disorder and sadly died at the age of 12 in November of 1960. This heavy loss brought about a time of new interests specifically rock and mineral hunting, and jewelry making. For the next few years, they became avid rock collectors. Bill had many stories of the road trips he and Betty took in the American South and West in search of petrified wood, crystals, and rocks. He and Betty also loved bowling together in Toledo and Beulah.
In 1964, Bill and Betty adopted their son, David. Bill won Dave's first minibike on a radio show and at age 5, Dave's love of all motorized vehicles began.
Bill always had an active spirit and keen sense of adventure. While in Toledo he obtained his private pilot's license and flew Piper Cub airplanes out of the Toledo airport. Years later, he would fly gliders over the dunes in Elberta and Crystal Lake.
In 1974, Bill, Betty, and Dave moved to Honor permanently to the cottage he had built years earlier. Bill and Betty always instilled in Dave the appreciation of the beauty of this incredible area and to never take it for granted. Bill took Dave hunting, fishing, and camping from an early age. Father and son hunted in the same area in the National Park for 48 years and Bill always packed the same lunch which consisted of (1) slice of bologna and butter on white bread and mini milky way candy bars.
When Bill and Betty returned to Benzie County, Bill worked for and managed the freezers for Smeltzer's Fruit. His managerial and business skills were used in spades when he and Betty purchased Casey's Canoe Livery from Sally Casey in 1976. They owned and operated the business until 1988. He was proud of the valuable friendships and enjoyed years of repeat business from campers, canoers, and avid fisherman. Many people thought Bill's name was Casey. He recalled the annual fall fishing trips by the Kitchener/Waterloo Canadians to the Platte River. The finale of their visit was the silly awards, BBQ pigtail appetizers, and farewell dinner prepared by and enjoyed at Chimney Corners.
After the National Park purchased his business and property, Bill worked at the Lake Township Hall fulltime serving in various roles ultimately becoming Supervisor until he retired in 2018 at the age of 90. During his time in local government, he was active in township improvement projects, including establishing the Lake Township Park at the mouth of the Platte River. He believed strongly that a recreational area be preserved outside of the National Park for the local people. To maintain a dark night sky at the river mouth, he was against installing 24-hour lighting at the Township Park. He rarely missed a Benzie County Road Commission meeting. Even when hospitalized at age 86, he insisted he needed to get back to work to attend a road commission meeting that afternoon.
Bill had an unquenchable thirst for knowledge and loved reading, especially books about American and Native American history. He also read the daily and weekly newspapers. It was rare that he watched television except for Tiger baseball games. In his later years, he recalled how he delighted in reading bedtime stories to his cherished young grand-daughters, Ashley and Alexis. As a Detroit Tigers fan, he had travelled to games at Comerica Park with his son. Once he transitioned to The Maples, he also attended a couple of Traverse City Pit Spitter games.
Bill was never scared of new opportunities and tackled every challenge with positive determination. He had strong values and a positive energy that resulted in him being well liked. His legacy reminds us to live our lives with no regrets and fill our days with love, hard work, and a bit of adventure.
He is preceded in death by: his parents, Lyle and Neva (Rust) Robinson; wife, Betty; daughter, Lynda; brother, Mick; sister, Alice Jane (Dana) Bigger; and special companion, Colleen Pettengill.
His memory lives on with: his son, David (Michele) Robinson of Beulah; his grandchildren, Ashley (Peter) Igoe of Grand Rapids, Alexis Robinson (Jeremy Yost) of Kentwood, Jennifer (Christian) Pick of Coconut Creek, FL, David (Kimberly) Knibloe of Grand Rapids, Wil Knibloe of Grand Rapids, Jonathan (Gi) Knibloe living in China; his great grandchildren, Redd, Dylan, Charlotte, Gabrielle, Rowan and Angel; his brother, Jim (Carol) Robinson of Perrysburg, OH; nieces and nephews, Terry (Mary Taphouse) Bigger of Owosso, Jack (Diana Sheldon) Bigger of Davison, Jennifer Robinson of Perrysburg, OH., Carrie (Derrick) Sanderson of Perrysburg, OH, James (Katie Clifford) Robinson, Jr. of Murrieta, CA; as well as James (Cheryl) Holtrey, Kirk (Heddi) Holtrey, Tally (Dan) Kaczynski, Heather Wood, Jim and Shawn Pettengill; and many second nieces and nephews.
A Celebration of Life is planned for the afternoon of Saturday, July 11, 2026 at the Waterfront Park in Elberta. It's fitting that his final farewell takes place where he started to shape his life and create some of his richest memories. Further notice of this celebration will appear at a later date.
The family extends a very sincere and heartfelt thank you to The Maples. Bill was treated with such kindness, respect, and love. His final 21 months of life were filled with so many wonderful activities, new friends, new experiences, as well as receiving excellent care. His son, daughter-in-law, and extended family will be forever grateful. Any memorials can be made in Bill's memory to The Maples in Frankfort.
The Bennett-Barz Funeral Home, in Beulah, is in charge of arrangements.
www.bennett-barzfuneralhome.com