Ronald "Ron" Robins

RONALD L. ROBINS

Ron was born at home in McMinnville, OR on January 10, 1934 to Charles and Laura Robins, where he joined brother Milt - 16 years older and sister Lucy - 14 years older. Norman was 11 years older. He always said “I had 3 siblings, but grew up alone”. He graduated from Marshfield HS, Coos Bay, OR in 1951.

Ron was quite an athlete - winning the State Tournament (15 and under) in tennis when he was 14. In high school he earned 3 varsity letters in football and was selected to play in the Shriner’s All-Star football game, but got injured in practice, so didn’t play. He was selected All-State in football his senior year.

Ron earned 3 letters in varsity basketball and was captain his senior year. He was 1st team All-State his sophomore and senior years. He was inducted into Marshfield High School’s Athletic Hall of Fame in 2004.

Ron was awarded a 4 year scholarship playing basketball at Oregon State College (now University), He was captain his senior year. and Oregon State was the Pacific Coast Champion in 1955. The team was inducted into the Oregon State Athletic Hall of Fame in 2005.

In 1956 he graduated from OSU with a BA degree after he had been a member and president of Sigma Nu fraternity. He was commissioned as a 2nd LT. in the Air Force through ROTC. On a trip to Dallas to see the NCAA basketball tournament in 1957 he met his future wife, Helen, who was a Braniff International Airways hostess. After they married, Ron was based in Salina, KS, (Schilling Air Force Base) flying B-47’s in the Strategic Air Command.

After completing 3 years in the Air Force, Ron was honorably discharged, so he and Helen moved to the Northwest where Ron pursued a sales career. In 1962 he joined Boise Cascade’s sales staff in Seattle. Their daughter, Lori, was born in Seattle in 1962, and son Phil was born in Boise in 1966. Ron left Boise Cascade in 1972 to pursue a real estate career, where he eventually had a small Brokerage with a friend until retirement in 1996.

Ron continued his love of sports, playing golf until his back would no longer let him and really enjoyed watching spectator sports all his life. He and Helen had BSU football season tickets 46 years total. They were always BIG BRONCO fans!!!

Ron and Helen enjoyed traveling throughout their almost 67 years of marriage - mainly to the Oregon coast - Cannon Beach being their favorite place EVER!! The Sun Valley Jazz and Music Fest was an annual affair for several years - Ron loved Dixieland music!!

His kids, grandkids, and great grandkids were the light of his life.

Predeceased by his parents; brother Milt (Ruth); sister Lucy; brother Norman (who flew B-17’s in WWII); an infant son, Kenneth Alan.

Survivors: Wife, Helen; daughter Lori (Paul) Heist, Auburn, WA; son, Phil, Salem, OR; grandson Travis Heist (Katrina) and their daughter Savannah, and son, Charlie; grandson Dillon Heist (Caitlin) and their son, Harrison, and daughter, Reagan, all from the Seattle, WA area. Some nieces, nephews and their families.

A “Celebration of Life” will be held in the Family Life Center of the Meridian Methodist Church at 11:30am on Friday, December 27 with burial to follow at the Veteran’s Cemetery at 2pm. In lieu of flowers, donation would be accepted at the Meridian United Methodist Church.