Forest Milton Robinson

Forest Milton Robinson passed away peacefully on December 16, 2013.Forest was born 9-16-29 in New Lisbon, WI, son of Cecil Leroy Robinson & Etta Fern (Shaffer). He graduated from Sandy High School, near Mt Hood in Oregon in 1948. Forest was the second born of 8 children. He spent his early youth in New Lisbon, Wisconsin. His mother Fern passed away at the age of 27 after giving birth to twins, Jerry & Jeanette Robinson. Forest was 9 at that time. He worked the family "stump" farm along with his 2 younger brothers, plowing the fields behind their 2 horses, feeding chickens, pigs, milking cows, and attending school in New Lisbon. At age 13 he and his 2 younger brothers Wallace and Charles, were transported by troop train from Wisconsin to Rhododendron, Oregon to join his father who moved to the area to work for the Hanford project. He served in the U.S. Navy during the Korean War from 9/25/50 to 7/9/54, Rank: HM2, U.S. Navy Medic, he was an X-Ray Technician. He especially loved the amputee ward while in the service. He attended boot camp and Hospital Corps School in San Diego, CA. He was stationed at Oak Noll Hospital in Oakland, CA and Bremerton Naval Hospital in Bremerton, WA. He was on 3 troop transport ships while in the service, the USS Buchner, USS Phoenix and USS Meigs. He was awarded the Good Conduct Medal in 1953, National Defense Service Medal, Korean Service and United Nations medals. Forest and Elizabeth (Langdon) were married in Rhododendron, Oregon on June 2, 1951. Forest graduated from Oregon State College 1956 with a Bachelor of Science degree in Business & Technology/Business Administration with an Accounting Major and Clothing Minor degree. Forest & Betty developed and operated retail clothing stores called Robinson's, Lefty's Squire Shop, and the Spool &Boutique which were located in Washington and Oregon. Their first store was established in Richland in 1960. They also operated stores in Wenatchee, East Wenatchee, Walla Walla, Yakima, Mt. Vernon, Aberdeen, WA and also a store in LaGrande, Oregon. Most of the stores were located in shopping malls. Forest built all of the fixtures for them. Forest and Betty along with son's Charles, James and daughter Susan, moved from Richland, WA. to Wenatchee, WA in 1963 to open Robinson's Clothing Store in the Valley North Mall. Forest owned a Beach Barron, which he flew to his various stores. He logged over 6,000 hrs in the Barron, making trips up to Frobisher Bay in the Northwest Territories, where his unwavering mining investment called Borealis, Ltd. was located. He and son's Charles and James help build the airstrip there on the mining property. Betty passed away suddenly in August 1984. On June 21, 1986 he married Barbara (Potter) Olson in Leavenworth, WA. He gained another daughter, Rachel Taylor Olson. Forest loved to golf, and especially enjoyed his 3 winter months in Palm Desert CA where he gained many friends at the Palm Royale Country Club. He was very proud of the fact he shot 2 holes in 1 there. He was an excellent wood worker, helped build 2 of his homes and built the furniture for them. He was instrumental in getting a local volunteer framing crew, which included his son Jim & his friends, to help build the Cancer House in Wenatchee. While being a Rotarian for 50 years, including being a Paul Harris Fellow, Forest volunteered to work with the Wenatchee Rotary on local improvement projects. Forest was also instrumental in getting a home built for a double amputee veteran, by calling in local volunteers and businesses, who donated a lot of the materials. Forest was preceded in death by his parents Cecil Roland Robinson and Etta Fern (Shaffer) Robinson, his first wife Elizabeth "Betty" Robinson, his brothers Wallace, Portland, Oregon and Jerry Robinson, Richland, Wa., his sisters Sharon Esiamo, Portland, Oregon and Shirley Arneson-Robinson. Poulsbo, WA. He is survived by his wife Barbara of the home, daughters Susan E. Myette of Issaquah, WA and Rachel L. Port of Lewiston, ID., sons Charles Forest Robinson (Cathy), Lewiston, ID. and James "Jim" Milton Robinson, Monroe, WA. He is also survived by his sister, Geneva McManimon, Boone, Iowa and Jeanette Roelke (Hjalmer) Ft. Apache, WI., and a brother Charles Robinson (Jane) Tacoma, WA. Also surviving are 14 grandchildren and 2 great grand children Memorials may be made to the Wenatchee Animal Shelter, Wounded Warrior Project, United Service Organization, Wenatchee Rotary or a charity of your choice. A Memorial Service for Forest M. Robinson will be held on Friday, December 27, 2013, 1PM, at Telford's Chapel of the Valley in East Wenatchee, WA.

Forest Milton Robinson

September 16, 1929 - December 16, 2013