Donald B. Robertson

Donald Brackett Robertson, of Chevy Chase, MD, died peacefully on November 24, 2024, from natural causes. He was born October 6, 1931, to Nathan W. Robertson, a newspaper reporter, and Elizabeth Robertson, a medical secretary, in Washington, DC. His wife of 59 years, Marion Ostrom Robertson, of Wabasha, Minnesota, whom he simply adored, died in 2019. His parents and grandparents also lived in Chevy Chase.
He is survived by four children, Steve (Meg), Anne (Tom Fronk), Tom, and Ted (Deborah Orosz), and seven grandchildren.
After attending Chevy Chase Elementary and Leland Junior High in Maryland and Wilson High School in the District, he graduated from Oberlin College (1953), where he captained the football and baseball teams. After Oberlin, he thought he'd never find such good friends again, but did so in the navy, where he served as an officer on the destroyer USS Hickox in the Atlantic and Mediterranean in 1953-1955.
Since graduating from Columbia Law School in 1958 until very recently, he practiced law in Washington and Maryland. At times, he was an associate and partner at the firm of Ross, Marsh & Foster. He was Board Counsel to the Montgomery County Board of Supervisors of Elections from 1994 until 2002.
In 1970, he was elected to represent District 18 (Chevy Chase and Silver Spring) in the Maryland House of Delegates and served until 1989, having been Chairman of the Montgomery County Delegation (1971-1978), Majority Leader (1979-1987), and Speaker Pro Tem (1988-1989). In 1999-2000, he chaired a special commission on lobbying ethics for the Maryland General Assembly. He loved this work.
He also loved Washington area sports teams. In 1940, he saw Washington lose 73-0 to Chicago in the league championship. In 1941, he shared a season ticket--costing $9.90--with a friend; one sat in the front of the seat, the other in the back. He was at Griffith stadium to root for Washington on December 7, 1941.
In a 1988 editorial, the Washington Post recognized his public service, highlighting his "stunning attention to detail." It added, "Robertson listened, did his homework and then made thoughtful decisions."
A memorial service will be held at a later date. In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made to the Lincoln Cottage or to Bethesda Big Train Baseball, or to a charity of one's choice.