The last of the Victorian gentlemen, Mc Donald Robinson, passed away on March 30 at age 88.
Pa Robbie as he was known by all and sundry, was well over six feet tall, always had a smile on his handsome face, a twinkle in his eye and walked with a jaunty step even when well past eighty. He never seemed to get angry even when provoked beyond compare in the days when we worked together at the Challenge newspaper.
At the Funeral Service in thanksgiving for his life, at St Anthony's Church in Petit Valley on April 4, this gentle-man who was lionistic in nature, as well as through membership in the Port of Spain East Lions Club, was eulogised by his eldest son, Noel, who said "Mc Donald Robinson was not just a father, he was DADDY. Anyone can be a father, but there are few daddies around."
Pa Robbie truly epitomised the title "A Man For All Seasons" as he found the time to be so many things to so many men in one lifetime. His life encompassed being a husband, fatherhood, Servol, St Vincent de Paul, St Martin Welfare, Lions, Masons, West Indian Tobacco Company, Harvard Club, horse racing, singing and grandfatherhood. Although so widely involved, none of the organisations suffered. But most of all he was a man who represented and stood up for principles, morals and spiritual values.
Pa Robbie and his late wife of 50 years, Phyllis, had five children, Noel, Ann Mary, Ronald, Ken (deceased) and Adrian; ten grandchildren on whom he doted, and one great granddaughter, Dominique, at whose birth he was ecstatic.
With Mama at his side he worked tirelessly for Servol, and Noel remembered them coming back from Laventille and begging for mattresses, food, tables, knives and forks to help the poor and needy. "Also I went a few times with both of them to give out lunches to the poor and needy around Woodford Square."
But there was the Pa Robbie who was the picture of sartorial elegance in his formal wear; a dancer par excellence always among the first to gracefully move on to any dance floor with Mama. He could sing up a storm and was a Mario Lanza fan, liked horseracing but never won anything major, never missed his Play Whe, and could drink his liquors with the best of them. With his excellent sense of humour he was also a very good Master of Ceremonies. He loved Carnival and was well known in the Maverick's organisation.
As a Mason one fellow lodge member commented "Pa Robbie was an ideal mason as he represented all the ideals of the organisation - service, justice, fortitude and charity."
However, he was best as a 'Daddy' and gave his children love and kindness, which might not always have been spoken, but was always there. He was always willing to lend a hand, to help others, to serve people, to be kind to total strangers and in his later days would often express his love for his wife of fifty years to son Noel.
Words of Wisdom will live forever with his offspring because he repeated often enough so that they became principles of life : Do not take anything that does not belong to you; Your good name is worth much more than money; Do not do anything half-way, always give 100 percent; Always say Good Morning, Good Afternoon, Thank You, Please; and Respect your Elders.
Past District Governor Lion Martin Pacheco also paid tribute to Lion Mc Donald "Pa Robbie" Robinson, who 25 years ago on his retirement from West Indian Tobacco Limited, with a group of 25 men, became the Charter members of Port of Spain East Lions Club where he remained a very loyal and proud member to the time of his death.
Lion Pacheco remembers Pa Robbie as a very humble person for whom no task was too demeaning. He was never one to seek the limelight ; for him the comfort and well being of others was what mattered. Yet he was outspoken, you knew exactly what his views were and never put water in his mouth but was always very respectful. Punctuality was one of his hallmarks.
He served as third, second and first Vice President of his club and with distinction as President at the age of 75. As a lion he lived the principles of his presidential mottoo "Service With Love; and as well the Lions International Motto "Service To All".
Today, said Lion Pacheco "as we say farewell to Lion Pa Robbie, we should also use his favourite words "God has been good to us" because God has been good to the Lions organisation for giving Pa and Ma Robbie to us. And God has been good to POS East for giving us Pa Robbie as a cornerstone of our Club. We will miss Pa Robbie but we will continue to live by the virtues by which he lived and which he tried to pass on to each of us."
"Pa Robbie gave love rather than demanded it; reached out to others rather than expected to be reached out to; desired to be a friend more than to have friends; expressed appreciation rather than expected it; relieved suffering rather than think only of his own; thought of others' good points, not their failings; and forgot himself in doing deeds that wil long be remembered. Go with God Pa Robbie until we meet again."