Obituary of Timothy Robinson

Timothy Bay Robinson, 84, died peacefully at home on January 16, 2020. Tim was born on March 19, 1935 in Trenton, NJ and was a 1953 graduate of Trenton Central High School. He subsequently earned degrees from Dartmouth College (B.A., geology), New York University (M.A., math education), Rutgers University (M.B.A., computer information systems), and Iona College (M.S., computer science). He served as a lieutenant in the Navy on the USS Stribling from 1957-59 during which he was part of the U.S. response to the Lebanon conflict. He taught math in Fair Lawn and Ridgewood for four years before working in Admissions and then as Registrar/Acting Dean of Administration at Jersey City State College (now New Jersey City University). In 1970, he left Jersey City to become the Founding Registrar and one of the first members of the staff of the soon-to-open Ramapo College of NJ. He was part of a very small team which worked to lay the groundwork so Ramapo was ready to open for students in September, 1971. He stayed at Ramapo for the rest of his career, remaining in the administration for more than a decade as Dean of Academic Services, and then as a tenured member of the faculty in the Anisfield School of Business where he taught and served as the Convener of the Computer Information Systems program.Tim was so appreciative of the many colleagues who shared with him the adventure of founding a college and nurturing it through almost five decades. On the recommendation of Ramapo Founding President George Potter and the support of President Robert Scott, the College Board of Trustees honored Tim with the title of Dean Emeritus when he retired in 1997. Tim was active in technology-related professional organizations throughout his career. He also served as President of the New Jersey Schoolmasters Club and as an evaluator of middle schools for the Middle States Association. In retirement, he was a member of The Hobbyists and the Ramapo College Retiree Group. A very proud moment in his life was the opportunity to be present in 1967 when President Lyndon Johnson and Premier Alexei Kosygin of the U.S.S.R. held a summit at Hollybush, his parents' home on the campus of Glassboro State College (now Rowan University) where his father was president. Tim was a musician (he had perfect pitch) and classical music lover. He played tennis with a Ramapo faculty group until he was almost 80. He was an average golfer, but he loved the game even as it frustrated him. He was an excellent bridge player, a good skier, an avid birder (often traveling to distant locations just to add a bird to his life list), a seasoned sailer (the Caribbean and Chesapeake Bay were frequent locations of sailing adventures), an enthusiastic power volleyball player and a lover of mysteries. He was an early adopter of technology and was awarded a State grant to furnish the first computer teaching lab at Ramapo. Tim was soft-spoken and funny, and loved spending time with his family. He and his wife Nancy traveled extensively including making trips to Colombia and Bulgaria to adopt three of their children. He is survived by his much-loved wife of 40 years, Nancy Mackin Robinson, who is also a founding member of the Ramapo College staff. He was predeceased by his parents, Dr. Thomas and Margaret Bay Robinson, and by his brother, Thomas. He is also survived by a large and extended family including children Katherine Thomas and her husband Neil; Thomas Robinson; Captain (U.S. Army) Hai Robinson; Leslie Robinson and her wife Kristine Padro; Lucy Robinson and her fiancé Matt Baron; Hanh Vo Norden and her husband John; Frank Huynh; Laura Nguyen and her fiancé Paul Holly; and Emily Tran. Surviving also are six grandchildren: Gwyneth Thomas, Kat Thomas, William Huynh, Jacqueline Huynh, Shane Norden and Cate Norden. Also surviving are his sister-in-law, Gloria Clark, and her children, Jeffrey and Patrick Clark and their families. Visiting hours will be from 2:00-6:00pm on Tuesday, January 21, 2020 at the Vander Plaat Funeral Home (vpfh.com) 257 Godwin Avenue, Wyckoff, NJ. Cremation will be private. In lieu of flowers, contributions to the Ramapo College Retiree Group Scholarship (ramapo.edu/foundation) would be much appreciated. The scholarship is awarded yearly to an outstanding Ramapo student and leader.