Thomas "Tom" Robinson

Thomas Adair "Tom" Robinson, 83 years of age, Atchison, Kansas, passed away Thursday, August 8, 2019 after a short illness with his family at his side and fortified with the apostolic blessing.

Mass of Christian burial will be Saturday, August 10, 2019, at 1:30 p.m. at St. Benedict Church with Rev. Jeremy Heppler, OSB as celebrant. Interment will follow in Mt. Calvary Cemetery. Visitation with the family will be on Saturday, from 12:30 until time of the mass at the church. Memorial contributions are suggested to St. Benedict Catholic School Endowment or Benedictine College. The Arensberg-Pruett Funeral Home has been entrusted with final care.

Tom was born June 12, 1936 in Lincoln, Illinois to Jack and Mary (Adair) Robinson.

Living a unique life his first 9 years were spent living in a homemade trailer on the back of an International truck.  His family traveled all over the state of Kansas, Missouri and Oklahoma rehabbing farm buildings for an insurance company so they could be refinanced back to the farmer or new owner.  When the post-depression era job ended, the family settled briefly in Lancaster before moving to Nebraska. A few years later he returned to Lancaster where he attended Lancaster grade school and ACCHS in Effingham where he was a member of the football team that won every game and was not scored upon his senior year and was chosen for the Globe All Area football team. After high school, he attended St. Benedict's College.

As a high schooler he worked for Robinson Construction at LFM as a member of the maintenance crew, he painted the H. E. Muchnic home alone at the age of 15, and he worked on the setup of Hixon Lumber yards in northern Missouri.  During the lumberyard setup, he lived in the lumberyards sleeping on a gurney from a World War II ambulance, before moving to the next lumberyard.   He was then the superintendent for Law Co of Wichita for their contract with the Atchison Housing Authority, helped build Mall Towers, Lakeview, and South Woods, and was on the Housing Authority panel for Housing Development in Atchison. He went into his own private contracting business being heavily involved in Urban Renewal rehab projects, building custom homes, remodeling and various other construction. He was proud of his work, liked to help the elderly with their needs and also worked with the unemployable giving them an opportunity to be trained in a profession.

After retirement, he volunteered at funeral dinners and Sacred Heart thrift store helping in all areas but especially repairing furniture and clocks. He enjoyed all the projects Father Gerard found for him. His hobby was building one of a kind furniture pieces and clocks of which he gave away more than 100. He enjoyed traveling, TV, the Chiefs, his model train collection which included many old and rare engines, and pulling practical jokes.  Most importantly, he enjoyed working on special projects with and for his kids and grandchildren.

He married Frances (Madden) July 20, 1963 at Effingham. He is survived by his wife Frances, son Gary (Linda), Independence, Mo., daughters Ruth Smith, Lake Forest, Illinois and Amy (Mat) Hammeke, Ellinwood, Ks.; grandchildren Cathy and Carrie Robinson, Becky (Matt) Bates, Jason and Gillian Smith and Alex, Monica and Nathan Hammeke; sister Martha (David) Demmon, Pevely, Mo. He was proud of his children and grandchildren and their accomplishments. He was a member of St. Benedict Parish having attended Sacred Heart for over 50 years with his family.

He was preceded in death by his parents, Jack and Mary Robinson and sister, Kay Becker.