Michael E. Robinson

Michael E. Robinson, 75, of Elizabethtown, transitioned from normal human consciousness to the great juke joint in the sky Monday, Sept. 26, 2016, where he now sits with Muddy and others eating fried chicken and sipping Dr Pepper.

Mike was born Sept. 8, 1941, at Good Samaritan Hospital in Lexington, to Nell Marie Edwards Robinson and Lee Crenshaw Robinson. He attended public schools in Lexington, M.A. Cassidy, Morton Junior High School and Henry Clay, from which he graduated in 1959.

Mike's most significant academic accomplishment while attending Henry Clay involved eating six Magee's butterflake dinner rolls each day for lunch during his senior year. Magee's Bakery was across the street from Henry Clay High School.

In pursuit of academic excellence, Mike decided to further his education by attending the University of Kentucky. Having no idea, whatsoever, what he wanted to do or be when he grew up, he lasted two semesters and was kicked out of University of Kentucky. While serving the mandatory one year exile from UK, he worked as an usher at a downtown skid row movie theater. After the suspension was served, Mike decided the only way to get a college degree would be if he found a major that required no foreign language, math or "hard" sciences. He quickly settled on secondary education. He earned a Bachelor of Arts in secondary education in 1964, a Master of Arts in 1966 and he stayed at UK from 1966-1968 working as a graduate research assistant in the College of Education while earning an additional 42 semester hours. In August 1968, after a brief desperate job search, Mike was hired at Elizabethtown Community College, a component of the University of Kentucky system to teach, primarily, sociology. The next 35½ years, he taught courses in education, psychology and sociology. He was forced to retire because of the insidious nature of evolving Parkinson's disease.

While at the college, Mike founded Hub City Sports Cards in the Greenwell Office Building next to Kentucky Utilities in downtown Elizabethtown. This sport card business was operated by Mike from March 1988 through December 1999. In addition to dealing in sports cards, he also had a fascination with listening to and collecting Americana/Roots music. This passion, over a 30-plus year period, led to the accumulation of one of the largest collections of Americana/Roots music by a private individual in the Commonwealth of Kentucky. At his passing, the accumulation contained some 4,500 CDs. If anyone is desirous of leaving a legacy, then the music is Mike's.

Mike is survived by his beloved wife of 33 years, Patty Robinson; six children, Shawn Robinson and his wife Celeste of Versailles, Joshua Robinson and his wife Debby of Dallas, Texas, Kate Robinson of Louisville, Cody Robinson and his wife, Victoria, of Fort Drum, New York, and Eric Robinson of Elizabethtown; and a stepson, Taylor Fraley and his husband, Marc, of Erie, Colorado. He also is survived by four grandchildren, Cameron McGar and Gabe and Christian Smith, all of Louisville, and Audrey Elle Robinson of Versailles; and his two favorite cats, Murphy and Jenkins.

Brown Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements. There will be no public service.

Afterthoughts can be made by donation to any viable Parkinson's research foundation. If not that, then play a blues tune very loud. Hound Dog, this one's for you.