Brian Robinson (20 Jun 1937 - 31 Aug 2025)

In loving memory of Brian Robinson who sadly passed away on 31st August 2025.

Dad was born in 1937, the year Snow White premiered and the first radar station opened.

The only child of Fred (Painter & Decorator) and Mum, Gladys (Dressmaker).

He had a happy childhood, although disrupted by the Second World War when he was evacuated to Altrincham for a time until his parents missed him too much and their part of London seemed as safe as anywhere else.

Home was in Greenford West London and went to the local school, Wood End (my first school, too).

He left school with just a single O level.

He loved scouting and was awarded its highest honour, becoming a Queen’s Scout

At 18 he joined the RAF for 3 years (rather than two year conscription) as he could see electronics was an important field for the future. He worked on their instrument landing system and the heavy radios used in larger aircraft and made such an impression that after a very short time in the service he was an acting sergeant before he left, despite the RAF really wanting him to stay.

However, he saw his future outside the service and joined a local British company, Decca, where he met and became lifelong friends with Don Milton. They sent him to NewYork for a while with them and enoyed what he saw, including the jazz legend, Dave Brubeck.

He met a lovely secretary, Jean, who was selling kisses for charity. She quickly fell for this worldly, flash young feller, and he was entranced by her.

The Decca Navigator product he had worked with wasn’t setting the commercial aviation world on fire, so he left and joined the up-and-coming IT company IBM as a maintenance engineer.

His relationship with Jean continued to blossom, and they were marriedin 1961

Michael was born in 1964

He then promptly pushed off to Germany, with Don for several months, leaving Mum literally holding the baby, and proving the old adage that IBM stands for I’ve been moved.

Ian completed the family in 1967

Dad often disappeared on a Saturday afternoon to watch QPR play at Loftus Road. He must have really rated them, as my brother’s middle name, Mark, is from Mark Lazarus, a player he greatly admired.

Dad’s career took off as IBM recognised this conscientious young man as a future leader, putting him through a management training programme that included a culturally life-changing 12-week course at Cambridge University, and eventually led to his appointment as main board director for IBM UK, first for Data Processing and Customer Engineering, before becoming the Director of Education.

Family always came first, and when the opportunity was presented to be European CE director, he turned it down as he felt it was the wrong time for Ian and Michael, as they were at a critical stage of their education.

Like Mum, he loved Christmas. He wore his hat from the moment his cracker was pulled until he got into bed. Ian and I proudly carry on that tradition.

As his jobs changed locations, so did we, moving from Greenford to Guildford and then Petersfield. In 1981 we moved to a new house in Love Lane, that they called Old Orchard, because it was an old orchard, which he and Mum bought new and made into their dream home, extending it with a glorious sun room, the largest walk in wardrobe we have ever seen (and which Mum filled) and a lovely garden full of colour and style. Michael and Ian have cuttings from several of the roses and will cherish them.

IBM wasn’t just work, though. He made close friends in the company who used to go on holidays together to many countries, including an annual pilgrimage to Normandy to enjoy the shellfish. These trips and other near-retirement activities were planned at a pub in Droxford, because where else would you do such important planning? The cottage next door was called Cobwebs, and somehow that became the adopted name of their group. This friendship of a diverse group of managers ended up being more than just a holiday club as it meant that when IBM spun off part of its personnel functions, Dad and several colleagues, including their last member, John Nicoll, who is with us, were ideally placed to invest in a new company to manage them, called Skillbase, where he worked until a heart problem forced him into early retirement at 55.

He recovered well, though, and for the next decade or so, he and Mum had a wonderful retirement, travelling the world and continuing to enjoy the theatre, musicals and opera and celebrated over half a century of marriage

He was dedicated to his family, friends, and the community where he lived. While not a great one for hobbies, he was always present at events in town, and happily shared his knowledge and support as a governor at Ditcham Park School

He could still surprise people, though. Many may be surprised to learn that he always watched the BBC’s coverage of Glastonbury Festival. Ever since Ian, Jane, and their family started going back in the 1990s, he has always watched along and discussed his favourite acts with Ian after the weekend! If you’re curious, his favourite this year was Olivia Rodrigo, though he did wish she didn’t swear so much!

When Mum fell ill, he dedicated himself to caring for her for several years until she was too ill to live at home and the effort was taking too much of a toll on his body. Shehe spent her last 3 months in a care home, and he visited every day.

We think the effort took a huge toll on him, and he never really got over losing her. They were married for over 55 years, and he certainly had no interest in ever meeting someone else, since Mum was his world. He didn’t retreat from the world, though. He loved spending time with the rest of the family and delighted in his five grandchildren, following their adventures and achievements with pleasure and was always there for them.

It was a chest infection that took him to his final home at Blenheim Court, where he again made a great impression until another chest infection proved too much to fight off.

We have received many cards and condolences from friends and colleagues, and it has been heartening to read how they saw the man we loved so much.

Common sentiments were that he was a lovely man, a good friend who was wise and thoughtful, who always had a smile for everyone, and was gentle, calm, kind and generous.

Our Dad was a hard-working, loving man who just wanted to do things right, completely dedicated to his family and was never anything less than a complete gentleman. The world is an emptier place without him, and we salute the exemplary life he led, which has been an inspiration to us all.