Donald M. Robinson

Donald M. Robinson, age 90, of Grants Pass, died Tuesday, March 11, 2014 at Arbor House.

A celebration of life will be at 1:00 p.m., Wednesday, March 26, 2014 at Hull & Hull Funeral Directors.

Remembrances may be made to Asante Hospice, 2960 Doctors Park Drive, Medford, Oregon 97504 or Alzheimer’s Foundation, 322 Eighth Avenue 7th Floor, New York, New York 10001 or Wilderville Methodist Church, PO Box 645, Wilderville, Oregon 97543.

Donald was born September 10, 1923 in Grants Pass to Radburn & Ruth Robinson of Wilderville. He attended Wilderville Grade School and graduated from Grants Pass High School in 1941. He attended Oregon State University for one term before enlisting in the Signal Corp which was later transferred to the United States Army Air Corps. After completing basic training in Miami Beach, Florida he was transferred to Chanute Field, Illinois where he was a Radar Instructor. While stationed there he met and later married Betty Jane Litz of Decatur, Illinois on March 11, 1945. In August of 1945 he was shipped overseas and spent time on Iwo Jima and Saipan before being discharged in March 1946 when he returned to Grants Pass where he spent the rest of his life.

He worked for Kenn’s Radio shop for several years and then became a printer, working for Harrold’s Graphic Arts for 25 years. He was a partner of Messenger Products Corp for 20 years retiring in 1999.

Donald enjoyed working on electronics, old radios, building doll houses and making tools to work on them. He never threw things away as he considered he might need those items in a project later. If something broke he used parts of it to make something else. He made his own small lathe and a tiny saw using can opener motors, when building doll houses as bigger equipment just didn’t do it. He enjoyed taking daily walks, gardening and listening to music. He had his own small printing press and enjoyed making family Christmas cards and helping his eldest son and neighbor children print programs for school class activities. He grew his own fruit and loved sharing it with others. He enjoyed visits from his children, grandchildren and their families.

He is survived by his wife, Betty; sons, Duane and wife Barbara of Mariposa, California and Richard and wife Bonnie of Grants Pass, Oregon; daughter, Debbie Bergener and husband Jim of Klamath Falls, Oregon; granddaughters, Carrie and Ann both of Grants Pass, Oregon and Bonnie of Kila, Montana; five great-grandchildren; five step-grandchildren; seven step-great-grandchildren; a sister, Mary Green and husband Donald.

His parents, a sister, and a great-granddaughter preceded him in death.