JACK W. ROBBINS, LTCOL, USMCR
Jack Robbins '48
Lucky Bag
From the 1948 Lucky Bag:
JACK WINDSOR ROBBINS
Bemidji, Minnesota
What? . . . you've never heard of Bemidji? . . . introducing Jack . . . is the mail out mate? . . . Robbins ... of basketball fame. Robbie eats and sleeps sports . . . basketball is his favorite dish. Extremely clean and neat in habit . . . why doesn't he replace the cap on his toothpaste instead of leaving that item for his wife to attend to? He lettered in golf . . . track . . . baseball . . . basketball . . . football in high school and prep school . . . so name your sport and you will find top-notch competition from him. Robbie is one of the varsity sense of humor squad . . . can even laugh at himself. To be entirely frank Robbie is one of these smooth characters who is never at a loss in any situation. Academics came easy . . . Jack stood high in his class with little effort. Dragging proved to be his best subject . . . how he did excel. During his last years at NA Jack learned to shave . . . there still remains doubt as to the reason why. A natural aptitude for things military . . . his Kempes background got him off to a good start. Rob loved to tackle something new . . . having worked at many varied jobs . . . from Civil Service to bartending. . . had experience to dip into. When things get tough . . . Robbie will come through with a winning basket.
Jack was a four-time varsity letter winner in basketball and also team captain. He graduated from the 14th Company with the class of 1948-B in June 1948. (The top half of the class academically, designated 1948-A, graduated in June 1947 as the last wartime-accelerated class.)
JACK WINDSOR ROBBINS
Bemidji, Minnesota
What? . . . you've never heard of Bemidji? . . . introducing Jack . . . is the mail out mate? . . . Robbins ... of basketball fame. Robbie eats and sleeps sports . . . basketball is his favorite dish. Extremely clean and neat in habit . . . why doesn't he replace the cap on his toothpaste instead of leaving that item for his wife to attend to? He lettered in golf . . . track . . . baseball . . . basketball . . . football in high school and prep school . . . so name your sport and you will find top-notch competition from him. Robbie is one of the varsity sense of humor squad . . . can even laugh at himself. To be entirely frank Robbie is one of these smooth characters who is never at a loss in any situation. Academics came easy . . . Jack stood high in his class with little effort. Dragging proved to be his best subject . . . how he did excel. During his last years at NA Jack learned to shave . . . there still remains doubt as to the reason why. A natural aptitude for things military . . . his Kempes background got him off to a good start. Rob loved to tackle something new . . . having worked at many varied jobs . . . from Civil Service to bartending. . . had experience to dip into. When things get tough . . . Robbie will come through with a winning basket.
Jack was a four-time varsity letter winner in basketball and also team captain. He graduated from the 14th Company with the class of 1948-B in June 1948. (The top half of the class academically, designated 1948-A, graduated in June 1947 as the last wartime-accelerated class.)
Loss
From the April 1969 issue of Shipmate:
LCol. Jack W. Robbins, USMCR, died 16 Jan. [1969] as the result of a military aircraft crash near Grissom Air Force Base, Indiana. Memorial services were held at the Metropolitan Memorial Methodist Church, Washington, D. C, with interment in National Memorial Park Cemetery, Falls Church, Va.
LCol. Robbins, born in Bemidji, Minn., was graduated from the Naval Academy in 1948 and was commissioned in the Marine Corps. After Marine Corps Basic School, Quantico, Va., he reported to the Marine Corps Recruit Depot at Parris Island, S. C. He had flight training, was attached to VMA 251 at El Toro, Calif., and served with the Fleet Marine Force, Pacific, and Marine Air, Fleet Marine Force, Atlantic. He participated in the Korean war as a pilot.
Following his resignation from the Marine Corps in 1960, he entered the Marine Corps Reserve and joined the George E. Walker Lumber Company of Fairfax, Va. A vice president of the company, LCol. Robbins was on a Marine Corps reserve unit training flight when the crash occurred. A past president of the Rotary Club of Fairfax, he was a member of the Fairfax City Chamber of Commerce and a director of the Potomac Bank and Trust Company of Fairfax.
Survivors include his widow Barbara Ann of 2944 Wilson Ave., Oakton, Va. 22124; three daughters Ann W., Jackie L. and Helen N. of the home address; his parents Mr. and Mrs. Horace M. Robbins of 284 F Avenida Castilli, Laguna Hills, Ca. 92653, and a brother Richard A. Robbins of Tustin, Calif.
Remembrances
From the Class of 1948 column in the April 1969 issue of Shipmate:
I am sad to report the death of Jack ROBBINS at Indianapolis on 16 Jan. in the crash of the Marine reserve aircraft he was piloting. Although he left the Corps in 1960, Jack remained passionately wrapped up in his Marine Reserve Squadron, and flew whenever he could. Jack will always be remembered for his ever-ready smile and warm friendly way. In recent years, he and Barbara Ann were sparkplugs of homecoming, and he will be missed at future class gatherings.
Career
Jack was Commanding Officer of Marine Fighting Squadron 321 (VMF-321) from March 17, 1964 to September 6, 1966.
Photographs
1948-B 14th Company
From the Lucky Bag
Other Information
The ALL HANDS magazine of May 1949 mentions Jack in an article about the All-Navy basketball tournament.
Jack is buried in Virginia.
Related Articles
William Keen '48, Richard Ryder '48, Donald Apple '48, and Stanwix Williams '48 were also in 14th Company.
Robert Searle '48 was also on the basketball team.
The "category" links below lead to lists of related Honorees; use them to explore further the service and sacrifice of alumni in Memorial Hall.
