Joined This World: September 1, 1957
Returned To The Father: July 7, 2007
| This last month has been a difficult one for all of us at Trinity with the loss of our pastor and friend, Reverend Robert O. Robinson Jr., who preferred to be known as Pastor Rob. Trinity Church had prayed long and hard that God would send us the right man to fill the position of pastor for our church, and he faithfully met our needs by giving us Pastor Rob. He brought with him humor, compassion, dedication, love, hope, and faith in God and in us as a congregation. He had high hopes and expectations for this church because he was a true believer in reaching for the stars and dreaming big. I had a unique opportunity as church secretary to get to know Pastor Rob a bit better than many Trinity members and I am honored to have had that privilege. There were many mornings that we would both be in the office during my office hours and we would carry on these long conversations about family and friends, comparing stories from college as well as the latest advances of his great nephew and my son who are only about 3 months apart. We would vent to each other about things that were bothering us and bounce ideas off each other for new things that we could try here at Trinity. In those many months of talks and laughs and stories, I learned a few things…Rob had a wonderful heart. His physical heart may have been faulty, but it did not get in the way of his spiritual heart which was always so strong. He was very intelligent and always on the quest for more knowledge. I’ll never forget when he moved into the office that we were sharing when he first started at Trinity, I had cleared all of the shelves on the wall of the office but two, but it was nowhere near enough for all of the books he had! They just kept coming and coming and even after he was all settled in, new books seemed to appear on a monthly basis! Rob was most definitely a life-long learner! But most of all, I learned that he loved God, his family, his friends, and Trinity…and he would do anything for those he loved! Throughout the span of Pastor Rob’s 49 years on this earth, we only got him for a very short time, but I feel that we were so blessed to have had him, even for that fleeting 19 months. Please continue to keep the Robinson family in your prayers in the coming weeks and months, as however much we feel the absence of Pastor Rob in our lives, they feel that many, many times more. It is with heavy hearts that we continue on with the day in and day out workings of Trinity and continue on in the service of God, but I know that Pastor Rob would want us to carry on, to continue learning and growing in the Lord and reaching out to those in our community. In the coming months we will have to begin the process of contemplating our needs as a church body and preparing for the search for a new shepherd for our flock, and as we look forward to the future, the work of Pastor Robert O. Robinson Jr. here at Trinity will stay in our hearts and minds for many years to come. This webpage is in Memorial to our great Pastor and Friend, Pastor Rob. |
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From the Heart, Jen Watts Secretary, Trinity Presbyterian Church |
 Pastor Rob with great-nephew Clayton. |
| Memories and Stories from Trinity Members |
| “I will always remember Rob as a friend. He was a fun loving man. Enjoying, I truly believe, the times at dartball. He wasn’t the best player but then who is? He could take a teasing along with dishing it out like the rest of us. Even though he never got that class up for marriage enrichment! I will miss seeing him come in with us on Sunday mornings and just sitting around and talking until everyone got here. And we will miss him at lunch after church on Sundays. His sermons will be missed. I thank God for giving him to us if only for a short time. I feel we have been blessed.” |
| -Shirley Dixon |
| “This isn't as much my story to tell as it is my sisters, but since she doesn't come to our church she has given me permission to tell it. My sister runs a day-care service in her home and last October she had a tragedy with one of her babies. The baby died of SIDS. She called me that evening and asked if I thought my Pastor would be willing to come and pray with her. I called him and he literally came running. She was and still is grateful for his council and concern. This was my husband Gary's first meeting with Pastor Rob and the acquaintance made it easier for him to join me in church. We will all miss him very much.” |
| -Shirley Newman |
| “When I think of Pastor Rob, I think of the word servant. Pastor Rob exampled this to us in so many ways. Though considered a part time position, Pastor Rob put full time into his sermons and preparations for services, and also being there for his church family when needed. He worked for the church and outside the church for the Lord in many and various ways. In his passing Matthew 25:21 comes to mind. In the Parable of the Talents Jesus said, “Well done, good and faithful servant! Come and share your master’s happiness!” I’m sure Pastor Rob is sharing the Master’s happiness. You are missed Pastor Rob, but we have the assurance that we will meet again. May we all strive to persevere and reach the goal you have already obtained. You will be remembered Pastor Rob.” |
| -Donna Harris |
 Pastor Rob at the dedication ceremony for Ethan Watts. |
| “Although Rob was with us just a short time, he had an impact on our church. He worked hard trying to implement new programs and giving us the opportunity to learn more about our faith in God. He encouraged us to reach out by constantly looking for ways to teach us how to renew our faith if needed. I also will remember his impish grin and loud bursts of laughter whenever something touched his sense of humor. I'm so glad he's at peace now. What more can we ask for someone who worked so hard?” |
| -Anonymous |
| “ ‘You don’t know what you have until its gone.’ This old saying is certainly true when it comes to Pastor Rob. He taught us to expand our horizons beyond our own church and to use our talents for the work of the Lord.” |
| -Anonymous |
| “I appreciated the manner in which he presided over my mother’s funeral service.” |
| -Wayne Mammen |
| “I was surprised when I got to know Pastor Rob how many places we had in common. We both went to Groveland Grade School, Morton High School, and spent time in Macomb. (Since he was a bit younger than I, we were not there at the same time.) I was really looking forward to a return trip to Macomb with Pastor Rob for the reading of our minutes. Upon attending his Memorial, I realized how much of the man I didn’t get to know…” |
| -Connie Smith |
| “I appreciated the fact that he rolled up his sleeves and helped paint the inside of the church.” |
| -Barb Mammen |
 Pastor Rob in fellowship with the Dartball players. |
| “We will miss his sense of humor and contagious laugh. We will miss not only his encouraging words from the pulpit but also as a dartball teammate.” |
| -Fred & Connie Smith |
| “I knew Rob would be a good guy when I found out he was a Packer fan!” |
| -Wayne Mammen |
| “I will miss Rob. We got to know him through Purpose Driven Life and Darts – He was a caring person who was always there for people if it was to help with a project or visit a person. No one could pull up a pair of pants like Rob! I will miss his sermons and the person who Rob was to all of us at Trinity." |
| -Pat Cupples |
| “Pastor Rob to me was a very unassuming, likeable, knowledgeable, genuinely nice guy. I will remember his cackle most of all. “ |
| -Steve Adams |
| “These are a few of the memories or Rob that keep going through my mind. When he got real tickled about something what a laugh he had! Our paint party at church when he played some of his favorite music, and how he loved to sing along with it. In his class of Purpose Driven Life and many other times I remember him sitting with the front of his hand bent against his cheek. He often ran his hand through his curly hair. How he often would pause during his sermon to gather his thoughts before saying them. Often times he would say “Burt, is your phone turned off.” And of course who can forget his special walk up to get his darts out of the board. His walk and tug at his pants was special. I’ll remember him always caring for his church family, even when he didn’t feel well. I’ll always remember that I didn’t realize how sick he was. He truly was there for everything going on in the church. It showed that he loved his church family. I loved him and will miss him always." |
| -Burt Fryer |
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