‘A light post for the town of Greenwich’
Winston Robinson, NAACP leader, housing manager, dies at age 70
GREENWICH — Winston Robinson, a civil rights leader who worked in public housing and the social services sector in Greenwich for many years, has died at the age of 70.
Robinson, who died Jan. 26, was the former president of the Greenwich chapter of the NAACP, and meetings were often held at his home.
“Winston Robinson was a light post for the town of Greenwich,” said the Rev. Thomas Nins, who worked with Robinson in the NAACP and the field of civil rights. “His work with and on behalf of the less fortunate was critical. Countless people looked to him for information and guidance. He was a ‘go-to’ resource. Winston was a ‘Townie’ in every sense of the word and will be greatly missed.”
First Selectman Fred Camillo added on social media, “One of the nicest men ever. A true gentleman, Winston will be remembered for his love of others, his hometown of Greenwich, and life.”
Robinson was a housing manager at the Greenwich Housing Authority, now known as Greenwich Communities. He also served as a member of the Greenwich Department of Human Services. As a member of that agency, he chaired the Achievement Gap Task Force, which seeks to support children from low-income families in their first three years of life in order to help them avoid future academic struggles. He also worked with a number of civic organizations in Greenwich, including the Red Cross board, the Transportation Association of Greenwich, the Greenwich Scholarship Association the Community Development Block Grant Advisory Committee and the United Way.
Robinson was born in Greenwich in 1952, the son of Athelyn Fender and Albert Maitland Robinson Sr. of Greenwich. He was a 1970 graduate of Green
wich High School. Active in Democratic politics, he was a longtime member of the Greenwich Democratic Town Committee.
Describing the work of the NAACP, Robinson said the movement toward justice and fair play required vigilance.
“We have to be alert when people are being treated unfairly or differently,” Robinson said in an interview with Greenwich Time.
A memorial service will be held at 11 a.m. on Feb. 18 at Bethel AME Church on Lake Avenue opposite Greenwich Hospital.