Glen P. Robinson

Glen Porter “Chief” Robinson, age 76, of Lubeck, West Virginia, passed away on July 18, 2016, at his residence, surrounded by his loving family. Funeral Service will be held at 2:00 p.m., Thursday, July 21, 2016, at Lambert-Tatman Funeral Home, 2333 Pike St., South Parkersburg. A gathering of friends and family will occur prior to the Funeral Service, from Noon to 2:00 p.m., with a further gathering and food immediately after the service in the Meditation Room and Garden. All are encouraged to bring photos to share memories. Glen was born on January 29, 1940, in Frozen, WV in Calhoun County, the son of the late Earl V. Robinson and Minnie B. Lawson Robinson. At the age of seven his family moved to Tanner, WV in Gilmer County, where he lived until joining the United States Navy at the age of 17, in 1957. From September 1957, through November 1957, Glen was stationed at the USN Training Center, Great Lakes, IL where he completed basic training. Following Basic Training, his Naval service was as follows: November 1957 – January 1961, USS Lamar (PCE 899), Milwaulkee, WI; March 1961 – October 1961, USS Vermillion (AKA 107); October 1961– June 1964, USS Cheboygan County (LST 533); June 1964 – October 1964, USN Training Center, Bainbridge, MD; October 1964 – July 1967, USN Recruiting Station, Beatrice, NE; July 1967 – January 1971, USS Mullinnix (DD 944); January 1971 – May 1972, US Henley (DD 762); May 1972 – January 1975, USN Training Center, Bainbridge, MD; January 1975 – September 1977, US Naval Station Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, wherefrom he retired. Following his service in Vietnam, Glen was stationed in Bainbridge, MD, and served with the Military Base Patrol and was a decorated member of the Bainbridge Pistol Team, before his final stationing in Cuba. At the time of his retirement, he was charged with the duty of overseeing all civilian and military ship movement at the Guantanamo Bay Port, Cuba, our country’s oldest overseas base. Glen proudly served his country in the US Navy for 22 years before retiring as a Chief Signalman on December 7, 1978. Some of Glen’s notable service included participation in actions relating to the Cuban Missile Crisis, the Papa Doc Duvalier uprising in Haiti, the Bay of Pigs and service in the Vietnam Conflict (both on the gun line and with the river patrol). Glen was especially proud of his time spent aboard ship in the Panama Canal. His years of Navy service afforded him the opportunity to visit countless sea ports around the globe and dozens of countries. He crossed the International Date Line and having crossed the Equator, a Polywog, he returned a Shellback. Following his Navy retirement, Glen returned to his home state of West Virginia. Through the GI Bill, in 1981, he earned his Bachelor’s Degree in Geology from Marietta College—an accomplishment of which he was very proud. Glen used his college degree to obtain a position with the WV DEP as an Oil and Gas Inspector. Being a lover of nature and birds, one of Glen’s proudest achievements as a WV Oil and Gas Inspector, was his involvement in the Ohio River Osprey Protection Project providing safe nesting for Osprey, a project that stemmed from his work on the WV Abandoned Well Project, another proud achievement. Glen retired from the WV DEP in 2001 and went on to work for the Federal EPA as a Field Inspector for the East Coast and Southeastern portions of the US, finally retiring altogether in 2005. Being a career Navy Man, Glen was an avid boater in all regards and loved restoring old wooden boats. He once took his bride from Parkersburg, WV to Pittsburgh, PA and back for a 9 day cruise in their 1939 Chris Craft. He loved navigating the rivers and spending time on the river and lakes. In recent years, Glen and Anne traveled the United States together in their RV and saw most of the Continental United States. Glen was most proud of his grandchildren and loved teaching them how to fish, shoot guns, bows and arrows and how to be handy and useful. Many fish were caught by his grandchildren with his help. Glen was a proud Third Degree Mason, Coast Guard Reservist, lifetime member of the Vietnam Veterans of America, the DVA No. 32, Davisville, WV, and VFW. Glen, along with his Vietnam Vets Motorcycle Club brothers and sisters, participated with friends and family in Rolling Thunder to the Wall, Memorial Day 1989, traveling from Parkersburg, WV to the Vietnam Veterans Memorial, in Washington, DC. On April 21, 1959, Glen was united in marriage to Virginia Anne Engle, his childhood sweetheart, and together they have shared the last fifty-eight years. In addition to his loving wife, Glen is survived by his son, Richard L. Robinson, his daughter-in-law, Teresa, his daughter Kelley S. Hardman, his son-in-law, Justin, his three grandchildren, Seanna Rose Johnson, Dallas Gray Hardman, and Ella Anne Hardman, his two sisters, Helen (Lloyd) Keith and Judy (Bill) Hardbarger; his sister-in-law, Karey Jo Green, and many nieces and nephews. He was pre-deceased by his son J. Shawn Robinson, his brother, Vinton R. Robinson, his sister-in-law, Mary Jane Robinson, his brother, Melvin H. Robinson. As per his request, his remains will be buried at sea in the long standing Navy tradition. The Robinson Family would like to express its heartfelt thanks for the wonderful help and care given by House Calls Hospice, BrightStar, the Strecker Cancer Center, and the doctors and staff of Marietta Memorial Hospital. If desired, friends may make memorial contributions in honor of Glen to the DVA No. 32, P.O. Box 173, Davisville, WV 26142, in lieu of flowers.