William E. Robbins

William “Bill” Edward Robbins passed away at the age of 97 on May 2, 2026, in Brewster, Massachusetts. He was born on February 6, 1929, to Clifford and Hattie (Campbell) Robbins and was raised in Roselle Park, New Jersey. After serving in the U.S. Army at Sugamo Prison during the Tokyo War Crimes Tribunal following World War II, he was graduated magna cum laude with a Bachelor of Arts in Business Education in 1952 and received a Master of Arts in School Administration and Supervision in 1953, both from New Jersey State Teachers College at Montclair.

Bill married Martha Stewart in 1953. He taught elementary school and then had a long career working for Houghton Mifflin Company, which relocated him and his family to Acton, Massachusetts, and Washington Crossing, Pennsylvania. After retiring, he and Martha moved full-time to their summer home in Eastham, Massachusetts.

Continuing to learn was important to Bill, and he took a variety of classes, including tap dancing, ceramics, chair caning, and German. He ran in numerous road races, some of which were marathons, and he enjoyed swimming, completing home projects, and finding good bargains. He was active in the United Methodist Church, serving as a Sunday School teacher and choir member and holding a variety of leadership roles. He enjoyed traveling domestically and internationally with Martha.

He is predeceased by his wife of 72 years, Martha; his sisters Virginia Hascsak and Helen Crawford; and his son Peter. He is survived by his children John Robbins (Roberta), Betsy Robbins, and Sally Bulger (Kurt); his grandchildren Jessica Messina (Damian), Eric Bulger, Michelle Minyon (Michael), Rachel Shoaf (Lee), and Elizabeth Robbins; and his great-granddaughter Morgan Minyon.

He was funny, creative, generous, and humble. He will be greatly missed.

Funeral arrangements will be announced at a later date.