William "Ken" Robinson, Jr.

Burlington – William “Ken” Kenneth Robinson, Jr., 70, passed away on Sunday, March 17, 2019 at Moses Cone Hospital of complications after open-heart surgery.  He was born on January 17, 1949 in Clermont, Ohio to the late William Kenneth Robinson, Sr. and Jane Baehr Robinson who survives; and was the husband of 42 years to Diana Elliott Robinson who survives.

Ken grew up in Middletown, Ohio.  He ran track and played football in high school but turned to drama after a knee injury ended his athletic career.  At age 17, he built his own transportation, using mail-order plans and parts he fabricated or bought locally to create a replica of a 1901 Oldsmobile – a predictor of his career.  He graduated from Purdue U with a BS in Mechanical Engineering.  After moving to Indiana, Ken passed the exams to become a Licensed Professional Engineer.

After college, Ken worked for Carrier Heating and Air, designing HVAC systems for large buildings.  While working on one such project, he met his wife, Diana, an administrative assistant for a construction management company.  They married and moved to Chapel Hill in 1977, when Ken was transferred to NC to work on the original building on the NIEHS campus in RTP.  After that project he worked on HVAC systems all over NC, including a renovation of Alamance Memorial Hospital on what is now the site of The Village of Brookwood, where he and Diana moved in 2015.  Ken was a lifetime member of the American Society of Heating, Refrigeration, and Air-Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE).

After retiring from Carrier, Ken became a partner in Williams Landscape Services in Chapel Hill.  In addition to landscape design, Ken designed irrigation systems and water features.  Ken was a member of The Episcopal Church of the Holy Comforter.  He enjoyed spending time with his family, pets and friends.  He was also a skilled woodworker and photographer.  Ken and Diana met while they were working in Indianapolis, IN; after moving to NC, they returned annually for 40 years to attend the Indy 500 automobile race, a great favorite of theirs.

Survivors other than his wife, Diana Robinson and his mother, Jane Robinson include his children, Bradley John Williams and wife Joanna, Tamara Jo Wright and husband James, Andrea Jo Martin and husband David; five grandchildren; sister, Janet Moland and husband Bill; brother, Leonard “Len” Robinson and wife Cindy; sister-in-law, Nancy Gosnell and husband Jerry; several nieces and nephews; and special friends, Bill, Gale and Will Yeager.  He was preceded in death by his father and a daughter, Edwina Peterson.

The celebration of life service will be held at 11:00am Saturday, May 4, 2019 at The Episcopal Church of the Holy Comforter by Rev. Jan Therien with the inurnment to follow in the church cemetery.  The family will receive friends following the service in the fellowship hall.

Memorials may be made to The Episcopal Church of the Holy Comforter, 320 E. Davis St, Burlington, NC 27215 or to www.ashrae.org.