Remembering John Robinson

On Dominion Day, 1927, an important event occurred in the life of my family. Ruby Johnston and her friend Leah decided to spend the day at Springbank Park in London, Ontario. On the streetcar ride out to the park, Leah began talking to a young man named Dick. Ruby ended up talking to his friend John. The four of them spent the day together tossing a ball around in the park and enjoying the warm summer day. At the end of the day, John walked Ruby home. This was no short walk. Ruby lived just outside the city limits on Proudfoot Lane. John's walk that evening encompassed several miles. After walking Ruby home, he then walked home himself.

The reason that this event is so significant in my family is this - John and Ruby married four years later and eventually became my grandparents.

John Robinson began his life in Carlisle, England, way up near the Scotland/England border. Along with his parents, John and Sophia Robinson and his older brother, Harold, John emigrated to Canada just before his first birthday. The Robinson family settled in London, Ontario where John, Sr. worked as a railway engineer.

John, Jr. grew up in London where he was a choir boy in the Anglican church. He faced an early challenge when his mother died when he was 12 years old. A few years later, John and Harold moved in with a cousin and began working in London. Shortly after John began courting Ruby, he also began attending her church, London Gospel Temple.

After keeping company for four years, John and Ruby were married on November 28, 1931. This was the beginning of 63 years of married life. In 1934, they were blessed with a daughter, Marilyn Ruby. The Robinson family moved into a house on Proudfoot Lane, right across the road from William and Mary Ann Johnston, Ruby's parents.

Ever since John first began keeping company with Ruby, William and Mary Ann thought the world of this young man. He was quiet, cheerful, thoughtful. This respect and love lasted throughout their lives. Over the years, John worked in various jobs. John and Ruby found that God was always faithful -- they were always able to make ends meet. The Great Depression years were very difficult, but love, family and friends enabled them to face the difficult times together. John, Ruby, and Marilyn had many happy days in the little house on Proudfoot Lane.

In the late 1940s, with the help of William and Mary Ann, John and Ruby bought a lovely house at 50 Forward Avenue in London. I remember this house so well as a warm and charming home. Over the years, their love and hospitality never ended. Various family members lived with them during times of personal need. Even thought there were only two bedrooms, there was always room for people to stay.

John and Ruby worked hard to pay for the house. In fact, Marilyn had a hand in helping them. When John was in his mid-forties, Marilyn heard that the post office was taking applications. She even picked up an application form, filled it out and took it in after John signed it. The result — John was hired at the Post Office and began a successful and hard-working career with Canada Post. He walked to work every day and home at 3:20 every afternoon. During summer visits, my brother Kevin and I, loved walking down the street to meet Grandpa when he walked home from work.

John was a great walker! Throughout his life he walked thousands of miles. He walked to work, to church, and while serving on the deacon board as treasurer, walked as many miles as required in order to get the required signatures on cheques to pay the church's bills. He would walk to mid-week service and often be the only board member in attendance. Since every cheque required the signatures of three board members, John would walk to the homes of two other board members to obtain their signatures.

Les Jobb, married to John and Ruby's niece Donna, remembers John as being "always the same smiling, faithful, reliable and patient". John was a quiet man, a man of few words, but those words were always well thought out. When John gave his word, he kept it. He took his responsibilities very seriously.

During his life John served on the deacon board at London Gospel Temple several times and served on the board of elders for the last few years of his life in London. John was a good husband and father. John and Ruby enjoyed 63 years together. During that time they travelled (a little), but spend most of their time creating and maintaining a lovely and comfortable home. I remember their home and garden as one of the loveliest I have ever seen and enjoyed.

Marilyn has very warm and loving memories of her father. One of the stories she was remembering this week, centered on John's love of baseball. London Gospel Temple used to host a baseball game between the older men and the younger men. Marilyn remembers her father rolling into first base. While describing the scene later to her mother, Marilyn, herself in fact, rolled from the living to the dining room to demonstrate the event.

After John retired from the Post Office in the mid-1970s, John and Ruby began the fun years of their lives. They travelled a bit, worked together on the house, and enjoyed their years together. In 1979 they moved into a new apartment building and sold their house. This provided a release from the responsibilities of a house and home and allowed them to enjoy their remaining years together.

In 1993, John passed out and in falling, broke a hip. Later that week during surgery, John suffered a major stroke. During the remaining two years of his life, John faced the greatest challenges of all. John was rarely sick during his life and even more rarely dependent on someone else. He was the one on whom other people depended. Just as he was always faithful to his commitments. Ruby and Marilyn and the rest of the family were faithful to John.

Marilyn's husband, Tom, had an inspiration: build an addition on to the back of their house as a "granny-flat" so that Marilyn and Tom could help to care for John during his disability. My brother Kevin worked with them to design a wing which would be bright and cheerful and yet enable Marilyn to put her nursing skills to their greatest test: caring for her father. Kevin worked lovingly and with his usual care and dedication to build the best for his grandparents. All of the family pitched in to help complete it as soon as possible.

While the building was underway, John was in a nursing home and Ruby was in their apartment packing for the upcoming move. This was the first time in 63 years that they had ever been separated for more than a few days. This was a very trying time for Ruby, John and their family, but God was faithful and they persevered until September 1993. When they were reunited in their new home. Ruby cried for joy and John beamed.

John loved his family very much. During these last two years, it was obvious what a joy it was to him to have his wife and daughter by his side every day. He and Marilyn had their daily hugs while she got him in and out of bed. The work was challenging, but the love and faithfulness that John had given freely all of his life, was returned to him by those who loved him. His daughter Marilyn was the primary care-giver and coordinated all of the health and home care team to provide the best care possible for her father.

On New Year's Day 1995, John was having such difficulty breathing, that Marilyn called for an ambulance to take her father to the hospital. The last few days were hard for John, but he understood what was happening. On the evening of January 4, John blessed his daughter, told Ruby how much he loved her and went home to Jesus.

My sister-in-law. Heather, reminded me of one of my grandfather's blessings. It is one of the things she most associates with Grandpa. Whenever one of us were leaving for home. Grandpa would always take time to pray for safety for us on the road and then say "Safe Home" his blessing on us for the journey.

Those of us who loved and respected John Robinson wish
and pray the same for him - Safe Home.