Obituary of John Robison

Recipe for boiled owl I frequently have described my dad as tougher than boiled owl. At a commanding 5'8" tall with a steady weight of 143lbs, he sported a six-pack up to his 70's without the aid of the Ab Roller. John A. Robison hailed from middle earth - aka Upper Canada – Cobourg, Ontario. He was born on February 22nd, 1938 - astounding since on his last birthday (aged 76) he again said his age as 39. The crowning glory of dad was that his hair didn't sport a single grey strand, something that he was quite proud of and had to defend to those that thought he used a hair dye. His father was Arthur Robison, his mother Marguerite (Stansfield) nee Riley. Both predeceased him. His siblings are Beverley Bimm (late Wib.), Shirley Anctil (Raymond), William Robison (Bunny), and Bruce Robison (Grace). Robbie left Cobourg and joined the apprentice army at age 16. He never finished high school, but his IQ was 137. An avid reader and watcher of the news, he kept up with current events. He loved the outdoors, both hunting and fishing, and had a heart of gold with the critters, feeding the chipmunks peanuts by hand and building a feeding troth for the deer in the winter. He met his beautiful bride Annette (Chaisson) in September 1959, and was smitten with the Acadian firecracker that she remains to this day. Together for over 54 years, married 52, they had two children; a son Terry who literally lives straight through from where we stand in Australia with his fiancé Jade Tran, and a daughter Nancy, best described as a chip off the old block - and she couldn't be happier about it. Dad was that guy, the one who would pull over on a rainy night to help you change a tire or find your wallet in a grocery store parking lot and wait for you so long that his favourite ice cream would melt. He stayed in the military and on base as a civilian for 50 years, only retiring at 72 due to declining health. If you wish to make a donation in his memory, pick a charity to donate to because he has had it all - cancer, a stroke, then double pneumonia in quick succession. We were devastated to find out recently that he had ALS. So goes the story of John A. Robison, Jack to his mother and siblings, Robbie to his friends, and confusing to his kids who couldn't figure out his many names. A Boiled Owl, cooked for toughness, has a crusty crunchy outside with a soft gooey inside. Celebration of life will be held at the Fredericton Ramada Inn on Saturday, April 26 from 7 pm – 10 pm. Come prepared with your Robbie stories, raise a glass of Bacardi’s and smoke a Colt’s cigar while we share our fond farewells to John A. Robison. Personal condolences may be offered through www.yorkfh.com