John Vincent Robinson

Jack Robinson was born on October 16th, 1930 to James and Rose Robinson in Buffalo, New York. Tragically, he and his wife Janet were in a serious car accident in Longmont, Colorado on Thursday April 6, 2017. Janet died as a result of the injuries she sustained in the accident only twelve hours later on Friday, April 7, 2017. Jack ultimately succumbed to injuries he sustained in the accident less than three weeks later, on Wednesday April 26, 2017.Jack was the middle of three sons, born and raised along with his older brother Bob and younger brother Dick in South Buffalo, New York. He was a graduate of St. Joseph's Collegiate Institute and Canisius College, before going on to aggressively pursue numerous advanced degrees from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI), Oak Ridge Reactor School of Technology and Harvard Business School; all related in various ways to astro-physics. He met the love of his life, Janet Weaver while they were still in high school - Jack at St. J s and Janet at Mount Mercy Academy. The two of them were married at Holy Family parish in Buffalo on July 25th, 1953. And, for the next 63+ years, they traveled the world together and touched many, many lives “ more than they will ever possibly know.Jack lived an incredibly full life, both personally and professionally. He is survived by his four children, Mark (Tina) Robinson (Hamburg, New York), Cher (Al) Smith (Longmont, Colorado), Diane (Bruce) Chattin (Kirkland, Washington) and Doug (Mary) Robinson (Park City, Utah). He is also survived by his brother Richard (Maureen) Robinson (Buffalo, New York), sister-in-law, Jean Robinson (West Seneca, New York) and sister-in-law, Norma Weaver (Hamburg, New York). He also had eighteen grandchildren and eighteen great-grandchildren scattered throughout the country. Jack was preceded in death by his wife Janet (Longmont, Colorado), his parents James and Rose Robinson (Buffalo, New York), his brother Robert Robinson (West Seneca, New York), his father and mother-in-law Cletus and Helen Weaver (Hamburg, New York) and his brother-in-law, Paul Weaver (Hamburg, New York).Jack and Janet spent the early years of their marriage in various cities - moving from Buffalo, NY to Cleveland, OH, to Oak Ridge, TN, to Troy, NY, back to Buffalo and then off to Ossining, NY as Jack was pursuing advanced degrees and settling in on what would be a long and storied career as a nuclear physicist. While in Buffalo, Jack held various different scientific and management positions with Bell Aircraft Corporation, Cornell Aeronautical Laboratory (later CalSpan) and Ecology & Environment, Inc.In 1965, Jack and his young family settled down in the Village of Hamburg. It was there that Jack and Janet and their four kids put down their roots. In many respects, they were a traditional family - Jack was a very driven and consumed scientist and business man while Janet was chiefly focused on raising their four kids. But, before long, Jack and Janet became pseudo-parents and mentors for various friends and acquaintances of their kids. This became a hallmark for Jack and Janet for the balance of their long lives. Many of those deep and meaningful relationships endured for 60+ years and even more amazingly, many of those special relationships were known only to Jack and Janet. Simply, they were giving people through and through. Jack was always aware of his flaws and limitations, and in essence, his humility and humanity. But, both Jack and Janet never stopped trying to be there for whomever might need something as simple as a smile to see, an open ear to listen, or a word of encouragement and helpful advice if that was what was needed. It was pretty amazing to watch, as the sheer number of people who were touched by them mounted over the years.Jack and Janet were always involved in their catholic parish, whether as Eucharistic ministers, RCIA Leaders, Sunday-School teachers, youth ministers or grief counselors. And, in the last decade or so, Jack became very involved with the Serra Club. Although they would go on to live in various different cities throughout their 63+ years of marriage, it was the years they spent in Hamburg that would always define home for Jack and Janet.In 1978, Jack's career took them to Richland, Washington with Battelle's Pacific Northwest Labs. They would spend the next thirteen years living in Richland, and as members of Christ the King catholic parish. As busy and driven as Jack was professionally, he, and Janet, were equally driven to help others from their community and parish. But, their biggest joy then and always would be their growing family, as they became grandparents many times over starting with those years in Richland. And, upon Jack's retirement in 1991, they decided to move to the Seattle area to be closer to their kids and grandkids who had made the Seattle area home. Once again, they became pillars in their parish of St. Elizabeth Ann Seton in Mill Creek. Jack and Janet lived in the Snohomish and Mill Creek area for the next 25+ years. Each and every day, through and through, Jack was an active grandfather to his growing number of grandchildren. He took a special interest in his grandkids interests, whether it was bugs, music, sports, delivering newspapers, or again, as a caring listener. As a grandfather, and later as a great-grandfather, Jack went by many names. He was known as Deek, Gapa, Papa and Grandpa depending on which grandchildren he was with at the time. And, yes, it could be and was quite confusing when the entire family got together, but never for Jack or Janet “ for they were in their element and loving every second of it.Just last year, Jack and Janet moved to Longmont, Colorado to be closer to their daughter Cher and her extended family. In fact, five of their 18 grandchildren live in and around the Longmont, Loveland and Ft. Collins area, as well as ten of their 18 great-grandchildren. Although Jack and Janet would spend just over a year in Colorado, they continued to serve and touch many people throughout the area and their new parish of St. John the Baptist, serving as Eucharistic ministers at Sunday masses and also administering Holy Communion every Sunday to the homebound. When Janet died as a result of the injuries she sustained in the car accident, Jack was naturally devastated. Suddenly, this couple that did everything together, was no longer. As much as Jack's injuries would ultimately take his life less than three weeks later, it was as much from a broken heart with the loss of his best friend and wife of the last 63+ years. Jack was surrounded by friends, neighbors, and family members the last three weeks of his life. To each person that he was with, whether just a few minutes, several hours, or the lion's share of those three weeks, he continued to touch everyone he was with by sharing his love for Janet, family, God, and life in general. Jack and Janet, individually and as a couple, touched so many people in deeply profound ways. And, as always they did it quietly, as it was never about them. Their life and their faith were forever intertwined.The family had a memorial mass for Jack at his parish, St. John the Baptist, in Longmont, Colorado on Friday, April 28th. He, like Janet before him, will be cremated and the two of them will be interred together later this year at a date yet to be determined at Hilcrest Cemetery in Hamburg, New York. Simply, Jack/Deek/Gapa/Papa and Grandpa will be going home to Hamburg and buried along with his parents, brother and in-laws. He and Janet will be greatly missed.