Irvine Flinn Robinson

Born in 1924, Irvine Robinson grew up during The Great Depression. While his father always held a job in the `30s delivering bread to rural grocery stores, Irv worked hard as a child to help support the family. The values of hard work and diligence were demonstrated as he worked a paper route and sold hand-made sno-cones scraped from a block of ice that he pulled around the neighborhood in a wagon; he also worked as a pinboy at the bowling alley in the days when the pins had to be reset manually. After graduating from high school in Wilmington, Delaware, Irv enlisted in the Navy in response to the attack on Pearl Harbor. He was stationed at the submarine base at New London, Connecticut. He applied to be a submariner and was ultimately assigned supply detail. Irv was responsible for ensuring that newly built submarines had the proper electronics for their missions. It was in New London that he made many close friends. After serving his country as a Chief Petty Officer in the Navy, he married his high school sweetheart, Jeanne Mae Cox. Son John was born in 1945 and daughter Janet in 1950. Irv bought his family a home in Wilmington upon returning from the Navy. Ever hard working, he held down three jobs: selling insurance door-to-door, working as an auto mechanic on weekends, and starting his life-long career at DuPont. Transferred to the New York City office, he continued to seek the best for his family. He lived at a hotel for six months while he looked for an affordable town in the tri-state area. Quality education was the priority. He took the train home to see his family on the weekends; Irv ultimately selected Livingston, New Jersey, as the perfect town in which to raise his family. Irvine and Jeanne both worked hard to send their children to college. After relocating to Atlanta, Georgia, they then retired to the Carolinas. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to St. Jude Children's Research Hospital in honor of Irvine Flinn Robinson (Memorial ID # 11999338). St. Jude Donor Services number is 800-805-5856 or www.stjude.org