Ronald Charles Robin – A Life Well Lived

It is with great sadness that we announce the passing of Ronald (Ron) Charles Robin of Ottawa, Ontario.  Ron passed away in the presence of family, under the compassionate care of the staff at the Queensway Carleton hospital in Ottawa on August 15^th, 2023. 

Born July 19^th, 1940, in Calgary, Alberta to Cecil (Tim) Robin and Mary Robin (née Taylor), Ron was the youngest of three children.  His older sisters Wenda and Lois were adored and idolized by their younger sibling.  They grew up in Calgary and were later raised on a fruit orchard in the small town of Oliver, located in British Columbia’s Okanagan valley (the land that was the orchard is now the home of an award-winning winery by the name of Road 13).  It was working on the orchard that Ron learned his strong work ethic, and sense of responsibility, being entrusted to run the orchard and manage the crew of hands at the young age of 12.  He was thrust into this role as his father, Tim, worked as an electrician to make ends meet.  At the age of 16 his love of cars was nurtured.  Ron and his father came to an agreement.  If Ron was able to save $300 by his 16^th birthday, Tim would match his $300 and the two of them would drive into town and buy Ron a car.  Ron saved the prescribed amount, and his father was true to his word – they went off to town and purchased an Austin Healey.   The orchard was the site of many formative experiences, and lifelong relationships were forged among the trees.  He also grew to know a level of frank pragmatism, instilled in him by his father. On the eve of leaving the orchard to attend The University of British Columbia in the fall of 1958, his father looked at him and said you’re always welcome to come and visit but you’ll never work here again.  The prophecy came to pass, and Ron moved on to the bright lights of Vancouver, leaving the orchard behind.

Ron met and would later marry the love of his life, Pamela (Pam) Ann Robin (née Bayley, deceased May 3, 2015) at The University of British Columbia. Ron had heard of a young beauty from Rossland, British Columbia who would also be attending UBC from a mutual friend who had been working at the orchard, and this mutual friend had told Ron that he should look Pam up.  He did just that and the rest, as they say, is history.  Upon completion of his Commerce degree, Ron, together with his bride Pam would set about building a life for themselves in Vancouver, British Columbia.  They had 3 children: Kelsey, Shaun, and Geoffrey.  After a few trial forays in other industries, Ron embarked on a long and rewarding career in the financial services industry with Mutual Life of Canada (later Clarica and ultimately Sunlife).  In 1974 the opportunity to manage and nurture a struggling office brought Ron and his family to Ottawa.  Westerners to the core, Ron and Pam accepted the challenge of uprooting their lives and moved their young family to Ottawa, vowing to return to the West before long (because who could possibly leave the West and be happy in Ottawa?).  Years would pass and Ron, Pam and family would establish deep roots in their adopted hometown.  They enjoyed regular visits to the West but were smitten with all that Ottawa and the surrounding area had to offer. 

Ron’s professional life was his passion.  A strong communicator and driven performer, Ron cared deeply about the people he worked with and was grateful for their contributions to his life, both professionally and personally.  Ron’s success, and that of his office was often recognized by senior management.  Offers of promotion were frequent but always graciously declined.  He was tempted by the idea of climbing the corporate ladder but opted to stay in his role as branch manager in Ottawa for two reasons – promotion meant relocating the family to Kitchener and would result in more frequent work travel.  Work was his passion, but he put his family first.

Ron was a family man and cherished time spent with loved ones.  He often reflected on how lucky he was that not only had he found the love of his life in Pam, but also a new extended family that welcomed him into the fold and that he loved very much.  The Bayley family became very important to Ron.  Not only Pam’s parents Howard and Blanca (Blanche) Bayley (née MacDonald), but also her sisters Moira and Sandi and their families.  Holidays like Christmas, Thanksgiving and Easter were family time.  Large gatherings around the table and maybe a little red wine was hallmarks of those days.  Ron loved road trips and camping with the family.  Every summer he would take extended time off for family vacations.  Ron, Pam, and the kids would pile into the family station wagon, strap 2 canoes to the roof, hitch a tent trailer to the bumper and set off on countless adventures.  The caravan travelled far and wide, including coast to coast trips across Canada and meandering around the Eastern United States.  Every trip was punctuated with Ron stating, “Boy the car really ran well!”.  As the kids grew older, Ron and Pam’s domestic wanderlust expanded overseas, and the couple’s fancy turned to Europe.  They travelled Europe extensively, always seeking to understand the people through their culture, customs, and language.

Around this time, Ron and Pam’s attentions turned to the Gatineau hills, where they would purchase a piece of land on a lake and build a cottage.  The cottage became their sanctuary, a get away from the city where Ron could putter away at projects and Pam could be at one with nature.  They loved the cottage and the community that they developed there.  They loved to entertain at the cottage and were eager to share their little slice of heaven.

Ron was an avid sports fan and in later years took great joy in watching Raptors and Blue Jays games with his friends.  Ron and Pam were also very active in a choir – Coro Vivo (formerly Blackburn Chorus).  They took tremendous joy in both the music and the fellowship they had with their fellow choral members.  They had amazing experiences as a group, travelling to Europe and Cuba with opportunities to perform and collaborate with musicians abroad.

Family that went before…

Ron is predeceased by his wife Pam Robin, his parents Tim and Mary Robin, his sister Wenda and her Husband Irv Armstrong and his grandson Maxwell (Max) Robin.

Family he left behind…

Ron is sadly missed by many dear friends and family.  Family left behind include:

His children and their families:  Kelsey Robin, John Hewie, Seth Hewie, and Noah Hewie; Shaun Robin, Andria Robin (née Burdett), Graeme Fry, Emma Fry, Ryan Robin, and Matthew Robin; Geoff Robin, Malia Robin (née Perry), Marley Robin, and Bryn Robin.

His sister Lois Powell (née Robin)

A loving extended family of in-laws, nieces, and nephews all of whom brought great joy to his life.

A celebration of Ron’s life will be held on Saturday, October 7^th at the Beechwood Cemetery.  Visitation will begin at 11:00am, followed by a service at 1:00 with a reception to follow.  In lieu of flowers, donations could be made to The David Suzuki Foundation, The Canadian Red Cross, or Cystic Fibrosis Canada.