Pat Robins

Nancy Patricia “Pat” Robins, age 84, of Williamsburg, VA passed away on Monday, August 11, 2025. She was born in Williamson, WV on April 6, 1941 and was preceded in death by her husband, Dr. C. Howard Robins Jr.; mother, Anne Ducan Jackson; father, Howard Gray; stepmother, Betty Gray; and stepfather, Daniel McElheney Jackson.

Pat grew up in Hampton, VA. She attended Hampton High School before becoming an Assistant to the Office of Space Flight Administrator for NASA. She was very proud of her career at NASA. Playing a pivotal role in the space shuttle program, she had made herself indispensable, and received numerous awards and accolades throughout her career. Astronauts knew they could count on her to make things happen and she shared a very special relationship with her co-workers – who became lifelong friends.

When she started her career at NASA/Langley Research Center, this is where she first saw her husband, Howard, across the cafeteria. She then transferred to NASA Johnson Space Center and to her surprise Howard had transferred there also. They came back to Hampton to have their wedding and returned to Houston to have their first child, Clint. They moved from Johnson Space Center to Langley Research Center where they had their daughter Staci. Pat and Howard both finished their stellar careers at NASA Headquarters with a combined 90 years of service to our country while living in Annandale, VA before retiring to Williamsburg, VA. The love story began in Houston and continued on to celebrate 59 years of marriage until Howard passed away in 2023.

Pat loved being with family, watching her grandson Lochlan grow up and succeed at baseball, and loved her grand dog ‘Blue’. She had a quick wit and a great sense of humor. She also had a tender heart with great empathy for others and animals. She volunteered at shelters and wanted to always help the less fortunate.

She is survived by her son, Clint Robins (Robin); daughter, Staci Leach (Zan); grandson, Lochlan Robins, who will be attending East Carolina University this fall; sisters, Tomi Youngblood and Toni Hollingsworth; and beloved grand dog, Blue.

A visitation will be held on Friday August 22, 2025 at 12:00 PM at Nelsen Funeral Home, Williamsburg, with a service to follow at 1:00 PM. Burial will follow at Peninsula Memorial Park, Newport News at 3:00 PM.

In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the ‘Clinton and Helen Robins Memorial Scholarship (#860218) at Virginia Tech, which can be made online at https://give.vt.edu or mailed to: Virginia Tech Advancement Division, Office of Gift Accounting/University Gateway Center (0336), 902 Prices Fork Rd. Blacksburg, VA 24061.