Temple John Robertson

Temple J. Robertson (88) passed away in the loving arms of his family on Feb. 19, 2018 at Hospice of the Valley. Temple was born in Detroit, MI in 1929 to James and Lillian (Emery) Robertson. He is survived by his wife, Pat; daughters, Iris Tyrene Robertson and Allison Robertson; grandchildren Sean Lake and Amelia Daugherty and step-daughters Katherine Kelly and Colleen Kelly. Also surviving Temple is his nephew and niece, Mark and Christine Swift. Temple was a carpenter by trade. He was a hardworking, kind and loving man who was always ready to help a friend or neighbor. He shared his carpentry knowledge and ability with whomever needed it.

Temple began his carpentry career in the 1950’s as an apprentice and eventually joined the Carpenters’ Union. From then on, he worked throughout the Valley of the Sun. He was employed by some major construction companies such as E.L. Farmer, Hoffman Homes and Del Webb. One of the delights of his life was when he rode over Sun City in the helicopter with Del Webb. One of the employers he frequently talked about was Bob Wagner. A long-time friend and working partner was Wilfred Hrencher whose birthday is very close to Temple’s. His other good buddies were Jim Frank, Steve Chalese, and Jim Ryan. During his carpentry career, Temple worked on Celebrity Theater, St. joseph’s Hospital and Boswell Hospital. When driving around Phoenix, Temple frequently pointed out homes and apartment complexes that he had had a hand in building. Oh, the stories he would tell about all the jobs he worked on. When a friend or neighbor needed help, Temple was there to rebuild or repair whatever they needed. When Kathy and Colleen wanted to refurbish their California homes, Temple gathered his tools and off he and Pat went on several different occasions to help them out. When Pat’s family home in Bisbee needed major repairs, Temple was the lead on the job. As if all his carpentry work wasn’t enough, Temple was an avid Square Dancer. From the 1960’s until 2015, Temple was ready to do-si-do. Temple and Pat belonged to the Tomahawk Twirlers Square Dance Club of Phoenix. At the weekly dances, Temple liked to be a greeter at the door welcoming club members and making any visiting dancers feel welcome. For several summers Temple and Pat went with the Tomahawk Twirlers to a summer square dance camp in Fun Valley, Colorado. A celebration of Temple’s will be held Tuesday, Feb. 27, 2018 at St. Louis the King Catholic Church, 4331 W. Maryland Ave with a Rosary at 9 a.m., Mass at 10 a.m. and a Reception following. Then Interment will follow at Holy Cross Catholic Cemetery. Donations in his memory may be made to the Arizona Animal Welfare League, 25 N. 40th St, Phoenix, AZ 85034. An online guest book is at www.almoore-grimshaw.com.