John Robeson

07/19/1949 - 10/27/2023

Long time Danville resident, John Cooper Robeson, passed away October 27, 2023, in Walnut Creek,

CA, from complications of Alzheimer’s Disease. Born July 19, 1949 in San Antonio, Texas, to John Charles Robeson and Marian Kurnik Robeson, he graduated Terra Linda High School in Marin County and earned a BA in Biology at CAL Berkeley. There, in a field Zoology class, John found his passion for birds and birdwatching, a lifelong pursuit, for which he was known to all. On August 6, 1983, he married Barbara Rugh in Santa Rosa, California, moving 1987 to Danville, where they raised their son, Dan, born October 7, 1987. John worked for the State Compensation Insurance Fund in Loss Control and Claims Management, retiring 2008, after thirty years. He was an active member of his community. His love for baseball and for his son, made him a “natural” for years of coaching and leadership in Danville Little League. He volunteered with San Pablo Bay wetlands restoration and San Francisco Bay Bird Observatory. He was a sustaining supporter of Bay Area Public Television, the Food Bank of Contra Costa County and Lindsay Wildlife Experience. John’s keen interest in birds fed a love for photography, hiking and travel, leading to adventures around the world. He was known to all as a caring, intelligent and gentle man. Although Alzheimer’s increasingly shrank his world, John remained an avid walker in the neighborhood, camera in hand, to the end. He always had a friendly smile and a tip of his CAL hat for everyone he met. John is survived by his wife, Barbara (Rugh) Robeson, son Daniel Cooper Robeson (Jessica) and sisters, Marcia Robeson (Springfield, OR) and Connie Robeson (Rohnert Park, CA)

A Celebration of Life will be held Sunday, May 5, 2024, Noon to 2:30 PM, in the Community Room, Oak Hill Park, Danville, CA. Cremation services by the Neptune Society of Northern CA. In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation to the Alzheimer’s Association or Lindsay Wildlife Experience, Walnut Creek.