Final Salute

George “Robbie” S. Robinson, Ph.D., passed away peacefully on Monday, October 19, 2020, in Plano. Robbie Robinson’s fascinating life started in 1939 when he was born on a U.S. Naval Station just outside of Manila, Philippine Islands. A year later, he and his parents were evacuated before the Japanese invasion. He was awarded the Boy Scout rank of Eagle Scout on his 13th birthday. Robbie’s initial high school years were in Paris, France before graduating from high school in Washington, D.C. with a four-year NROTC scholarship to Princeton University. At Princeton he majored in Civil Engineering, ran cross country track, was the Princeton Tiger at football games and the Midshipman Commander of the NROTC Unit. Due to his exceptional grades, he was selected Phi Beta Kappa a year before graduation and graduated as the top student in the engineering school and Summa Cum Laude. He received both a Fulbright and a Marshall Scholarship. Using the Marshall Scholarship, he attended Imperial College of Science and Technology at the University of London where he obtained his Master’s Degree and Doctorate in Civil Engineering. Even though he was the only American living in the student dormitories, he was the oldest and therefore ran the student pub! While there, he met Lynore Ward, of Johannesburg, South Africa, on a blind date. They were married in Johannesburg in 1964. He became a Registered Professional Engineer in both Massachusetts and Texas. He was included twice in the “Outstanding Young Men of America” listing.

As a Naval Officer in the Civil Engineer Corps (Seabees), they lived in numerous locations, especially, Washington, D.C., California, and Hawaii. Robbie served two tours of duty as a Seabee company commander in Vietnam for which he received the Navy Commendation Medal with the Combat V. Between these combat tours, he was tasked to lead a team of Seabees, professional engineers and Smithsonian scientists to explore the island of Diego Garcia in the middle of the Indian Ocean. This was as very successful top secret mission during which they literally rowed ashore in rubber boats, camped for months while collecting data for the future construction for the huge air and logistical base that exists today. Robbie often joked that he has his own Robinson Crusoe story. In 1970 he was selected to attend the Armed Forces Staff College. IN 1974 he was the only third Naval Officer to be selected to the prestigious White House Fellows program. He served as an immediate assistant to a cabinet member for which he received the Distinguished Service Award. Shortly thereafter, he became the Commanding Officer of Mobile Construction Battalion Four, comprised of over 1000 Seabees. Halfway through the two-year tour of duty, he had rebuilt the Battalion so well it was selected as the best unit in the Pacific Fleet and had the highest reenlistment rate. The Battalion is the only Seabee unit to be commended by the US Congress. The Governor of Guam made Robbie an honorary Ambassador for the island. He was selected for the rank of Captain two years ahead of his contemporaries. After twenty years of service he retired from the position of Staff Civil Engineer for the Pacific Fleet Logistics Command in Hawaii where he was responsible for the planning, construction and maintenance of 51 U.S. Naval Bases in the Pacific and Indian Oceans. He received the Legion of Merit Award, the highest non-combat medal awarded by the United States. The White House later selected Robbie to represent the United States in an international leadership seminar and to participate in a high level visit to China following President Nixon’s famous trip to that country. Robbie and the family moved to Plano, Texas in 1981 to work for Ross Perot and Electronic Data Systems Corporation. His initial assignment was to master plan and develop Legacy, a mixed use development in Plano with a projected population of 150,000 people. Due to the careful planning, Legacy has become one of the premier business parks in the United States and is the primary economic engine for Collin County’s phenomenal growth. It has set a standard for highly successful mixed use, new-urbanism developments. He was instrumental in negotiating the deals to locate Frito Lay, J.C. Penney, and others to Legacy. Subsequently he became the Director of EDS’ worldwide real estate operations, totaling more than 24 million square feet. While in this position he reduced personnel by 25 percent and cut costs by $170 million annually. He also led the team to rezone the EDS headquarters property on Forest Lane. This was the largest and most complex rezoning in Dallas’ history requiring more than 200 meetings with homeowners. He was then asked to set up and manage the EDS Board of Directors when EDS separated from General Motors. After his retirement from EDS in 1999, he established GSR Consulting, Inc. to assist corporations with improving their boards of directors.

Robbie and Lynore were very active in the community. His activities included Vice Chairman, Plano Chamber of Commerce, Founded and Founding Chairman of the Plano Economic Development Board, Chairman of the church development committee, co-chair of several municipal and county bond programs, Director of the Plano Public Library Foundation, Honorary Chair of the American Cancer Society’s Gunslingers Ball and one of its directors, Weekend to Wipe Out cancer, board member of the Plano Symphony Orchestra, board member of the Greater Dallas Planning Commission, business chairperson of the Trinity River Corridor Citizens Committee, Board of Live from Plano, Chairman of the County Industrial Commission, Chairman of the Plano Vision 2025 Committee, Dallas 2012 Olympic Committee, and the Founding Chairman of the Arts of Collin County. He is the co-founder of the Collin County Christian Prayer Breakfast which attracts approximately 1100 people every year. He also co-founded the Collin County Business Alliance to unite 100 top CEOs of Collin County corporations to help improve business and the quality of life in Collin County. He and Lynore served as chalice bearers and ushers at their church. He was selected as Plano’s Citizen of the Year in 2000 and the City of Plano named April 9, 1999 as Robbie Robinson Day. A street within legacy has been named after him. He then received the prestigious James N. Boswell Award for embodying the spirit of giving and leadership in the community. U.S. Representative Sam Johnson awarded him with the Inaugural Congressional Veteran Commendation.

Robbie and Lynore adopted Anthea as an infant in 1974. After she died from cancer at age 14, they endowed the Dallas Children’s Medical Center Child Life organization to assist families with the many challenges associated with a seriously ill child. There is also a scholarship in Anthea’s name at Trinity Christian Academy. This scholarship permitted well over 30 students to attend TCA. He and his wife, Lynore, established a trust at the Dallas Foundation that will support 10 charities that will continue beyond their death.

Most of all, Robbie will be remembered not only for his many contributions to family, church and community but also for his personal values, especially his integrity. His favorite Biblical quote, his motto, is “Well done good and faithful servant (Matthew 25:21).

A memorial service will be held at a later date at Christ United Methodist Church at the corner of Coit and Parker Roads in Plano. In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to The Robbie & Lynore Robinson Fine Arts Center % of the Plano Independent School District, 2700 West 15th Street, Plano TX 75075 or on line at . www.pisd.edu/foundation or alternatively to the Anthea C. Robinson Scholarship at Trinity Christian Academy, 17001 Addison Road, Addison, Texas 75001.