Elburn Dean "Gay" Robinson, 89, of Warsaw, died at 6:03 a.m. May 24, 2010, in Grace Village Health Care, Winona Lake.
He was born Oct. 15, 1920, in Jay County, to Emory Harrison and Bertha Lawson Robinson. On Aug. 22, 1943, in Wabash, he married Martha Ester Dubois, who survives.
He lived in Jay County for 12 years, Wabash County for 21 years and Kosciusko County for 55 years. He was founder and CEO of Robinson Construction Inc., Warsaw, and was a founding partner in Holiday Inns in Wabash and Warsaw; Warsaw Airport Industrial Park and Medcast Inc. He enlisted in the U.S. Army Air Corp on Oct. 22, 1942, assigned to the 74th Fighter Squadron 23rd Fighter Group. He was sent to India by ship, flown over Hump to China. He was stationed at various Flying Tigers bases as photo technician and spent approximately one year in China. He was honorably discharged Jan. 17, 1946, as rank staff sergeant. This group was known as Flying Tigers. He was a member of the Warsaw Chamber of Commerce and the men's league at Gilliam Bowling Lanes, Warsaw.
Also surviving are five children: Dan J. (and spouse Cheryl Ann) Robinson, Douglas K. (and spouse Mary) Robinson, Gregg R. (and spouse Lisa) Robinson and Dennis A. (and spouse Sarah) Robinson, all of Warsaw, and Martha Gay Hopkins (and companion Larry Coplen), Syracuse; 10 grandchildren; three step-grandchildren; nine great-grandchildren; two great-great-grandchildren; and a sister, Marjorie Featheringill, Tupelo, Miss. He was preceded in death by two brothers and four sisters.
Services will be at 10 a.m. Friday at McHatton-Sadler Funeral Chapel, Warsaw, with Jeff Carroll officiating. Burial will be in Oakwood Cemetery, Warsaw.
Calling is from 3 to 8 p.m. Thursday at the funeral home.
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Memorials may be made to Grace Village Health Care, 337 Grace Village Drive, Winona Lake, IN 46590; or Kosciusko County YMCA, 1401 E. Smith St., Warsaw, IN 46580.
Condolences may be sent via mchattonsadlerfuneralchapels.com
