Remembering a Local Philanthropist
Thom Robinson blazed a trail and left a legacy
On January 28th, Thom Robinson passed away, leaving a void in this community that will not easily be filled. To say that Thom Robinson was a philanthropist doesn't do justice to the good work he and his wife Pat did for the community over many years. I recently spent time with Ted Mercer, a close friend of Thom's, who recollected not only his mentor's work but also his resounding love for the town he called home.
Thomas Robinson was born in Troy in 1931, at the height of the Great Depression. He married his sweetheart Pat in the summer of 1953. Together they had two children. Throughout his 93 years of life, Thom touched countless lives of those blessed enough to call themselves Trojans.
"There are people who were touched by Pat and Thom Robinson, and they never even realized it," said Mr. Mercer. He talked about how Pat and Thom started the Robinson Fund back in 1984. They were committed to supporting non-profit organizations, and as the fund grew, the focus became increasingly centered on Miami County and its residents.
The first beneficiary of the fund was the Ruth Lyons Children's Fund, a long-time benevolent effort undertaken by Cincinnati television personality Ruth Lyons. Over the years, Pat and Thom focused more energy and resources closer to home. Projects for Miami County Health Partners, Dayton Children's Medical Center, Clear Creek Farm, Miami County YMCA, Lincoln Community Center, WACO Air Museum and Aviation Learning Center, Troy Memorial Stadium, and Habitat for Humanity all received generous donations for ambitious and transformative capital projects that improved our quality of life. The recently opened Robinson Reserve at Duke Park shows a commitment to creating beautiful places for our neighbors to enjoy. Investments in Edison State Community College and Urbana University demonstrated how much value Pat and Thom placed on education as a way to improve not only one's own life but also the community.
Many non-profits understand that programming dollars are often more impactful but less publicized. "Pat and Thom loved the Troy Pop Rocks Program and would help get them buses to go to their different events," said Mr. Mercer. "For years, they quietly funded efforts to put Christmas lights up on the river levee here in town." The Robinson Fund played a critical role in funding programming at the Brukner Nature Center, the annual Mayor's Concert, and Troy Main Street's Sculptures on the Square program, to name a few.
If the Troy community was a passion for the Robinsons, so was Ohio State University, especially one particular aspect of Buckeye culture. "Thom loved the marching band," said Mr. Mercer. "He was very generous to those musicians and understood how important they were to the gameday experience for those on the field and in the seats." The Robinsons also made donations to the university's library system.
The passing of Thom Robinson is not only a time to recollect what we have lost and be thankful for the amazing generosity our community has benefited from, but it also leaves us with more difficult and challenging thoughts.
As Mr. Mercer said, "Who are the next Pat and Thom Robinsons? What legacy will they leave behind?"
It's a hard question to answer.
As much as we think we live in a community made by individual sheer grit and determination, that isn't always the case. The people who call Troy home are truly living on the shoulders of giants, and we benefit from their hard work, whether we recognize it or not. Simply walk through the Troy Hall of Fame at Hobart Arena, and you will see the names and histories of kindness and generosity of men and women who weren't just called to do well for themselves but were called to do better for their community. Names like Hobart, Meeker, Johnson, Duke. Now, we can add the name Robinson.
Like Mr. Mercer, I also wonder who will be the next generation of Pat and Thom Robinsons that will continue to make our hometown more than just a collection of houses and businesses, but a true community. For anyone who has lived here for any period, Troy is a very special and resilient hometown; we have seen our share of good times and bad times. But through it all, our community has always been home—a place where we should feel welcome and free to create our hopes and dreams.
Our future without generous philanthropists like Thom Robinson will certainly be different. But I am very optimistic that others will take the good work of the Robinsons and move it forward, making our town a stronger and better hometown for it.
That's what building a legacy really means.
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