In Memory

Reginald "Reg" Robinson Jr - Class Of 1941

Reginald Reg Robinson Jr

Reginald Robinson  '41 passed away peacefully on July 9, 2006, at Alta Bates Hospital, Berkeley, California.  He is survived by his wife of 53 years, Christine; his daughter Gail Mead of Orinda, married to Christopher Mead, and their children Helen, Carson, and Cooper; and daughter Jill Haizlip of San Francisco, married to Elias Haizlip, and their children Ella, Ian, and Sarah.

Reg was born May 20, 1923, in Atlanta, Georgia.  He moved to Southern California when he was twelve, but never lost his southern "flavor."  Reg loved music and sports and played football at South Pasadena High School and later at Princeton University where he also joined the Charter Club and sang with the Triangle Club.  He was a member of the Class of 1945, but graduated in 1947 as his college years were interrupted by World War II and four years in the Navy Air Corps.

After graduating from Princeton with a degree in economics and mechanical engineering, Reg returned to California where he worked in engineering, including the Berkeley Radiation Lab and Cyclotron Corporation, and construction management.  He met Christine in Bakersfield and wooed her through the Bakersfield Ski Club.  Reg made his first skis as a teen and enjoyed skiing Mammoth Mountain when all they had was a snow cat (free ride if you carried a can of gas) and a rope tow.  Skiing remained a part of his life as a ski patrolman at Sugar Bowl and a life-long member of the Oakland Ski Club.  His love of the outdoors also included hiking, scuba diving, and travel.  Reg enjoyed singing with the choir at Orinda Community Church where he was a member for 46 years and tasting wine with a group that has been meeting for 30 years.  He read widely and loved nothing better than a lively discussion over a good meal and a nice bottle of red wine.  He was a genuine Renaissance man; there aren't many around and he will be missed by all who knew him.