For decades, Edward A. “Eddie” Robinson and his brother maintained and expanded a dairy business their great-grandfather started in the Denver area in 1885 while also growing their reputations for business leadership and community involvement. Robinson, called “irreplaceable” by one colleague and friend, died Sunday at the age of 93.
Robinson went into the family dairy business and ran Robinson Dairy with his brother, Dick, until selling the Denver-based company in 1999 to Suiza Foods in Dallas. The company merged with Dean Foods, which folded the business into its Meadow Gold Dairy brand. Dean closed the Denver facility in 2016 to consolidate operations.
Robinson Dairy, northwest of the Sixth Avenue-Interstate 25 junction, was a well-known sight on the Denver landscape. And the Robinson brothers were well-known in the Colorado business and civic worlds. Robinson served on 33 boards and commissions. Robinson and Dick, who is 96, were inducted into the Colorado Business Hall of Fame and were named the 2009 Citizens of the West by the National Western Stock Show.
“He and Dick were named Citizens of the West because they really represented in many respects the Western culture, the Western way of life,” said Pat Grant, former National Western CEO and president and current board chairman emeritus.
“Robinson Dairy was an institution that had significant influence not only in Colorado, but throughout the West through their leadership,” Grant said. “And Eddie was not only a great guy, he was friendly, kind and open with everybody. He was particularly generous charitably.”
Robinson was also generous with his time, said Dr. Michael Salem, president and CEO of National Jewish Health. He was a 50-year board member, served as chairman from 1986 to 1989 and was elected as a lifetime board director in 2003.
“He was always participating, whether it be the finance committee, strategy committee, the development board, the executive committee. Eddie was always there and his family was involved,” Salem said.
Robinson was a personal friend of his for 20 years, Salem added.
“Eddie was always an upbeat guy with a wry sense of humor. He would want to sit down and have a schmooze, talk about things beyond how the hospital was doing,” Salem said. “He had a generous spirit and I think he’ll be irreplaceable.”
Robinson was born in Denver in 1932 and was a fourth-generation Denver native. His great-grandfather, Louis Robinson, emigrated from Eastern Europe and started the family business in Lakewood in 1885.
Robinson graduated from East High School, earned a bachelor of science in agriculture in 1954 from Colorado A&M College, now Colorado State University. He served in the U.S. Army. He and his brother, who also graduated from Colorado A&M College and served in the Army, donated more than $500,000 to Colorado State in 2013 for use in a major renovation of the Animal Sciences Building, according to the university’s website.
Robinson was a director emeritus of the Colorado Restaurant Association and past board member of both the Metro State College of Denver Foundation and the Colorado Commission of Higher Education. He also served on the Central Bank Denver board.
His son-in-law Steven Kaufmannsaid Robinson, who lived in Greenwood Village with his wife, Susan, died of natural causes.
“Eddie had a great sense of humor,” Kaufmann said. “While he could be kind of firm and direct as a business person, as a friend and family member, he was kind and gentle. He was generous both to his family and his community, in his time and what he did.”
Robinson was preceded in death by his parents, Sam and Helen Robinson, and his daughter, Patti Robinson Kaufmann. Survivors include his wife, Susan Robinson; brother, Dick Robinson; daughters Debra Robinson (Jon Duvall) and Emily Gorelik (Steve Gorelik); stepchildren Missy Geller, Gregory Geller and Jeffrey Geller (Gina Geller); niece Ellen Robinson, nephew John Robinson (Lisa Robinson); grandchildren and step grandchildren.
A service is scheduled at noon Wednesday. Interment will be at Emanuel Cemetery. A livestream will be available on the Feldman Mortuary YouTube channel.
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