Adam Robinson

Aug 12, 2019

Adam Benjamin Robinson, Jr., age 69, a lifelong resident of Pine Bluff, passed away Thursday, August 8, 2019. He lived life to the fullest and will be dearly missed.

Born October 11, 1949, he was a son of the late Adam Benjamin Robinson and Elizabeth Fox Robinson. He was reared and received his early education in Pine Bluff, graduating from Pine Bluff High School in 1967 and earned a Bachelor of Science degree from Davidson College in Davidson, North Carolina in 1971. He graduated as valedictorian of his class from the Dallas Institute of Mortuary Science in 1973.

Adam was the fourth generation of his family to be involved in funeral service in Pine Bluff and the surrounding area. He was the President of Ralph Robinson & Son, Inc., President of Cooperative Life Insurance Company, and Secretary-Treasurer of Robinson & Fuller, Inc. Always interested in improving funeral service, he continuously sought ways to better serve families and help them honor their loved ones. Adam also further helped funeral service by serving in leadership positions at the local, state, and national levels. He was a president and member of both the Arkansas State Board of Embalmers and the Arkansas Funeral Directors Association. He was proud to have the opportunity to serve on the board of directors of Selected Independent Funeral Homes and as president of the organization in 2012-2013.

Adam was a generous, thoughtful, and charismatic man who could command a room and bring joy to any community. He also never met a stranger and cared deeply for people with his gentle, giving nature and spirit, finding his greatest joys in being present for others.

He was a member of the board of directors of Simmons Bank from 1995 until the present, with positions on the Simmons Bank Director Credit Committee and the Senior Credit Committee. Adam loved contributing to Simmons’ credit culture and service to communities.

Always active in efforts improve the quality of life in Pine Bluff and Jefferson County, he served in numerous organizations, including a past president of Fifty for the Future, Inc.; a past member of the board of directors for the Greater Pine Bluff Chamber of Commerce; a past member of the board of directors; and a past member and president of the Pine Bluff Civic Auditorium Complex Commission. Adam was also a past member and chairman of the University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff Development Council and a longtime member of the Pine Bluff Downtown Rotary Club. He was a member of First Presbyterian Church and a past-president and member of the board of directors of the Pine Bluff Country Club.

A tireless and enthusiastic supporter of the arts in Pine Bluff, Adam was the co-chairman of the Arts and Science Center for Southeast Arkansas Endowment Building Campaign in 1993 and oversaw the fundraising and construction of the Center’s permanent home. He was a past president in 1987 of the Arts Center board and also appeared in numerous roles in the Arts Center’s theatrical and musical productions.

Though Adam was reluctant to take credit and quick to give it, his awards included 2006 Small Business Person of the Year from the Greater Pine Bluff Chamber of Commerce; the 2002 Arts and Science Center for Southeast Arkansas Volunteer of the year; the Arts and Science Center Catherine Bellamy Award in 2013; the 1993 Arkansas Funeral Director of the Year, presented by Morticians of the Southwest; and the Special Impact Award for 1991 All Civic Night presented by the Chamber of Commerce.

Adam’s survivors include his wife, Anne Seawell Robinson, whom he married on March 30, 1974 in St. Bartholomew’s Episcopal Church in New York City; two sons, Adam Scott Robinson of Pine Bluff and William Seawell Robinson and his wife, Dr. Christina Kilby of Crozet, Virginia; his two beloved granddaughters, Beverly Anne Robinson and Clementine Kilby Robinson; a brother, Spencer Fox Robinson and his wife, Debbie of Pine Bluff; and a sister, Dr. Margaret Robinson Rutherford and her husband, Dick of Fayetteville.

Funeral services will be held Tuesday, August 13, 2019, at 2:30 p.m. at First Presbyterian Church with the Reverend Dr. John Landis and Reverend Gordon Topping officiating. Interment will follow in Graceland Cemetery by Ralph Robinson & Son.

Visitation will be Monday from 5:00 p.m. until 7:00 p.m. at Robinson’s.

Memorials may be made in Adam’s honor to the Arts and Science Center Endowment Fund, 701 S. Main Street, Pine Bluff, Arkansas 71601; or to Hospice Angels, 3801 S. Camden Road, Suite 12, Pine Bluff, AR 71603.

Online condolences may be made at RalphRobinsonandSon.com

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