Ronald Robinson

Ron Robinson – tremendous husband, loving father, doting grandfather, fantastic brother, and a fiercely loyal and competitive friend.

Ron was born in Calgary, Alberta, Canada on November 9, 1927 and died on November 11, 2020, two days after his 93rd birthday. He succumbed to pulmonary hypertension.

Ron was predeceased by his dear wife Jean in 1996 of ovarian cancer.

Ron is survived by son Da- vid (and wife Lori), daughter Karen (and husband Monte), grandchildren Eric, Kara and Ryan, great grandson Bryson, sister Hazel Milligan in British Columbia, and adored by many nieces and nephews.

Ron graduated from Central High School in Calgary in 1944 and emigrated to Berkeley California in 1947. He has been a resident of San Leandro since 1956. Ron met the love of his life at Berkeley Iceland where he worked while attending UC Berkeley and Jean was a figure skating member of the St Moritz Ice Skating club. Ron was a member of the Cal ice hockey team from 1948 – 1950.

After getting his Doctor of Optometry degree, Ron had a partnership practice in San Francisco until 1999. Ron was a good opponent for anyone who wanted a game of cribbage. He and Jean played bridge monthly with three other couples for 25 years.

After Jean died in 1996 Ron went to visit his sister and her family on the Sunshine Coast in British Columbia for 10 days every other year.

Jean was a World and Olympic ice dancing judge with many assignments in Canada and Europe. Ron accompanied her to many of the competitions. The best one was 10 days in Paris for the Worlds Championship in 1989. They also spent 10 exciting days at the 1960 Squaw Valley Olympics with their best friends the Cuny’s, after all four were appointed as officials for the USA Olympics ice skating team. Ron and Jean also attended the 1988 Olympics in Calgary where they watched the battle of the Brians (Boitano and Orser).

In 2012 the entire family attended the 100th anniversary of the Calgary Stampede, where he worked when he was a boy. Two years later they were aboard the Allure of the Seas when they decided to compete in a three-day trivia challenge against 25 families. And they won first place! “It doesn’t matter” turned out to be a longstanding family joke.

Ron frequently wrote ‘a letter to the Editor’ of the San Leandro Times. Most letters concerned excessive expenditures by the San Leandro City Council.

For many years Ron was a member at Skywest and Tony Lema golf courses, and a leader in the local SIR Branch 6. He thoroughly enjoyed numerous games of 3 six-hole partner matches as part of a favorite foursome – Bob, Carmen, and Jack. Recently he donated two bags of clubs to the Tony Lema golf course. Ron was lucky enough to have had two tee shots find their way into the cup over his golfing lifetime.

Ron was a life member of Cal and Optometry Alumni Association and an Honorary life member of SIR Branch 6 and the St Moritz Ice Skating Club.

The best times were spent on cruises and family gatherings where food, competitive and trivia games were enjoyed by all.

Private services were held