Obituary for Jr John Fuller. Robinson

J. Fuller Robinson, Jr., 95, died on February 23rd, 2024, having lived a whirlwind of a life. He was born on September 19, 1928 in Roanoke, the only child of Cornelia White and John F. Robinson.

    When his mother died when he was four years old, his Aunt Hattie came to help look after young Fuller. Eventually Hattie, or “Boss” as she was affectionately known, married Fuller’s widowed father. Boss was a strong positive influence on Fuller throughout his life.

      Fuller attended Jefferson High School and then Roanoke College, during which time he met his future wife Elizabeth Caldwell. At MCV dental school Fuller’s great love for his profession was nurtured. After earning his DDS degree Fuller and his young family lived in Hawaii where Fuller served as an Air Force dentist. He couldn’t help but fall in love with Hawaii and he and his family would revisit the islands regularly for the rest of his life.

     Returning to Roanoke in 1956 Dr. Robinson began the private dental practice which he sustained for over sixty-seven years. His patients were extensions of his family and he was most devoted to them.

     Fuller's life was characterized by incredible passion for it. He considered it one adventure after another, and this attitude fit perfectly against the backdrop of his dental practice and his long and happy marriage. His interests included hiking, cars, photography, sailing, skiing, canoeing, scuba diving, and most anything else outdoors. He was a mechanical genius, and loved to tinker with any kind of machinery or electrical device. Some of the projects with which he became involved defied conventional sense, not to mention description.

     Fuller was a former Boy Scout leader, and many a young scout would long remember "Doc's" cry of "Is everybody happy?" on another dark, rain-soaked night hike.

     Fuller was restless and loved to travel. If he couldn’t find members of the family to drag along with him he would go solo. He journeyed throughout the US and beyond. He was especially fond of   The UK and Hawaii, and he made many forays to hike in the Swiss Alps.

     Fuller also traveled extensively as a volunteer dentist, with a special love for the people of Nalerigu, Ghana, where he made over fifty trips over a period of forty years.

      In his later years Fuller’s time was increasingly spent at his ancestral home on the waters of Middlesex County in tidewater Virginia where he enjoyed his family and friends and his weird projects.

     Fuller was not only predeceased by his wife and life’s love Elizabeth, but many very close friends as well. He is survived by children Kit Caldwell Robinson, (JoAnn Almer), Lynn Robinson Clark, (Jeff Clark), John Walker Robinson, (Marybeth Falls), and Virginia Ann Robinson (Bruce Courson). Continuing to be inspired by their granddad are grandchildren Clare Lyerly (Eric Lyerly), Anna Robinson, Connor Clark, Fuller Clark, Adam Robinson, Ian Robinson (Elizabeth Rothera), Taylor Robinson (Taryn Dollings), and Dana Constanzer; also six great-grandchildren, Evangeline Lyerly, Jude Lyerly, Clementine Lyerly, December Lyerly, Walker Robinson, and Caroline Robinson. Fuller's love of life and his creative and unconventional manner live on in these surviving family members and all who knew him.

     A visitation will be held on Monday, March 4th from 5-7pm at Oakey’s Roanoke Chapel.

     The graveside memorial service for Fuller will be held at Evergreen Cemetery in Roanoke on Tuesday, March 5th at 10:00am. An open house at Fuller’s 1307 3rd Street home office will follow. All friends and family are welcome to attend both or either event.

     If you wish to make a memorial gift in Fuller’s name please consider a donation to the Blue Ridge Land Conservancy or The Nature Conservancy.