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An only child born in Norwich in 1930, his early years were slightly itinerant, being dragged around the country by his mother to follow his father’s navy postings.
It was when he joined Lancing in 1943 that he began to thrive. It was the College that gave him his foundations for life. He joined the school at Ludlow, when it was in wartime evacuation, and he would often say how much he loved those days. In terms of important men in his life, Robin would say that there were three, Mozart, Beethoven, and his House Master E B Gordon. Gordo, as he was known, left an indelible impression on Robin and helped him establish his lifelong love of music.
After Lancing he joined the army. Commissioned in 1950 and retiring in January 1989, the Army and in particular the world of port and maritime operations based out of Marchwood Military Port, were his bedrock. He would say himself, that his 5 minutes of fame came when he led his Marchwood based Port Squadron in running the British military evacuation out of Tobruk in 1970, for which he received the MBE.
In retirement, his life revolved around music, holidays, learning languages and the Isles of Scilly. The Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra provided him with great music, great friends, and an opportunity to support and to help as a volunteer. As with Lancing in the beginning, the BSO became a foundation of his later life.
His other great musical love was opera, with many happy days organising, visiting, and listening to great opera. In between all this he somehow made time to become a proficient Italian speaker.
His holidays were mostly spent travelling around Europe, but then, of course, there was the Isles of Scilly. Loved by Robin and for over 25 years shared with his family as a place for magical family holidays. A long and fascinating history, governed by the sea and the tides, with local boatmen of dry wit and humour, the spirit and the beauty of the islands suited him.
Not a man of self-promotion, he was the epitome of efficiency, careful planning, common sense, and conscientiousness - firm but fair, kind, and generous. Well respected and liked by those who knew him. In essence a practical man who had his own mind and often strong opinions, a man of wit and humour, a constant presence, a much-loved father, grandfather and great grandfather.
Robin was a regular guest at our Over 60s lunches and was always with a group of his old friends from Second’s, he was a very special Lancing gentlemen who will be sorely missed. He died peacefully on December 15th at the New Forest Nursing Home aged 93.