Obituary of Don R. Robinson

Don (Bob) Robert Robinson, age 77, of Kaiser, passed away on Wednesday, January 5, 2022, at Lake Regional Hospital surrounded by his loving wife and family.  Don was born April 22, 1944 in Foley, Missouri to Forrest E. Robinson Sr. and Helena A. Robinson.

Don was preceded in death by his parents and siblings Forrest E Robinson Jr and Sherry Lee Mendonsa.

Don is survived by his wife Mary (Riffle) Robinson; four children Bradley Robinson (Stephanie) of Morton, Illinois, Shane Robinson of Pekin, Illinois, Rainer (Claudia) Baurer, and Yvonne (Heinz) Weidenback both of Bad Krauzenach, Germany; one stepson Rick (Tracy) Lafata of Osage Beach, Missouri; nine grandchildren Skyler Robinson, Heleyna Robinson, Presley Robinson, Taylor Lafata, Dakota Lafata, Tyler Brooks, Alexis Brooks, Dominick Baurer, and Fritz Weidenback; one great-grandson Knox Lafata; one sister Norma Hamilton; and many nieces, nephews, cousins, and close friends that have become extensions of the family.

Don reunited with his childhood sweetheart Mary, and they were married on June 27, 2005.  Despite fate taking them in different directions for 43 years he would always say he had found his soulmate again.

Growing up, Don spent much of his time assisting on the family farm west of Foley, traveling with his father as he preached across the Midwest, and hunting and fishing every chance he could.

Seeking adventure, Don joined the US Army in 1962 where he went on to train as a radio operator and earned his paratrooper wings.  He would later serve with honor with the elite 82^nd Airborne Division and later with the 8^th Infantry in Bad Krauzenach, Germany.

After his service in the US Army, Don would settle in Illinois where his sister lived at the time and would start his 40 year career with Caterpillar working first in the fabrication and machining division before moving to Track Type (Bulldozer) assembly where he was one of a small team building the D10 and later the D11 bulldozer.  He would later work for Bolivar Insulation & most recently Menards during his retirement where he cherished many of the close friendships he made.

Don had a deep love of the outdoors that stemmed from his childhood and would later parlay that love into a successful taxidermy business that he operated in Pekin, Illinois for many years out of his home.  Don was self-taught through a catalog but went on to teach several others the art of wildlife preservation.  Don’s mounts have made their way into museums, publications, and into private international collections.  Don was an avid archery enthusiast and began bowhunting in the early seventies.  He enjoyed spending time in the woods and was a highly skilled hunter and woodsman.  He loved the mountains and enjoyed big game hunting for elk, deer, and antelope with his family.

Don was a skilled builder and when not hunting or fishing you could find him hard at work on home & landscaping projects.  He was proud to have built his current home with his brother for him and his “Buttercup” to enjoy during their retirement years.

Don loved western movies with John Wayne being his idol and always felt he belonged in the old west riding alongside Wyatt Earp or a mountain man like Jeremiah Johnson.  He enamored the simple life of those days and that carried over to his real life love of spending time around a fire with family and friends enjoying a fish fry and some laughs.  His most treasured time was that spent with family and friends.

Funeral Services will be held Monday, January 10, 2022 at 11:00 am at Hedges-Scott Funeral Home in Osage Beach, Missouri. The family will welcome friends for visitation from 10:00 am prior to services at the funeral home.

Interment will follow at Lake Memorial Gardens in Osage Beach, Missouri.

Memorial donations are suggested to St. Jude Children's Hospital at https://www.stjude.org/donate or the Wounded Warrior Project at https://woundedwarriorproject.org.