Hardage Giddens 4053- 850 Saint Johns Bluff Rd
Dr. Donald Stetson Robinson, formerly of Shelburne, VT, passed away peacefully on September 16, 2022. He was surrounded by his wife of 66 years, Mary Lou, and his daughters in his Jacksonville, FL home. Don will be remembered fondly as an exceptional husband, father, grandfather, brother, friend, and mentor. His family is proud of his contributions to science and medicine throughout his remarkable life, in addition to his exceptional character.
Don was born August 14, 1928 to Mildred and Alfred Robinson in Pittsfield, MA. He graduated from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (Troy, NY) and served in the United States Army during the Korean War. While on assignment at Bell Telephone Laboratories in NJ, he met his wife Mary Lou.
Don graduated from the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine (Philadelphia, PA) in 1959, and completed his internship at US Public Health Service Hospital (Seattle, WA), and his family medicine residency at Ventura County Hospital (Ventura, CA). Don completed an internal medicine residency and a fellowship in hematology at Mary Fletcher Hospital, UVM College of Medicine (Burlington, VT), after which he continued to practice hematology there for several years. During the course of his medical education and ensuing practice, Don and Mary Lou raised a family of four daughters and a son.
In the emerging field of psychopharmacology, Don contributed research and completed multiple sabbaticals at the National Institutes of Health (Bethesda, MD). In addition to several professorships, Don established UVM's division of clinical pharmacology and the department of pharmacology at Marshall University School of Medicine (Huntington, WV). In the latter half of his career, he was invited to become director for central nervous system drug development at Bristol-Myers Squibb, with global responsibilities. Don was proud to have shepherded three new medicines through clinical development to FDA approval. Upon retirement in 1993, Don continued to share his expertise, consulting and mentoring within his field for many years.
Don's interests were both active and cerebral. He loved the outdoors, spending his time swimming, gardening, fly-fishing, and camping. Don and Mary Lou enjoyed international travel, especially biking tours. He was an avid reader, writer, crossword puzzler, and genealogist. His family enjoyed the fruits of his many labors, such as repairing and refinishing antiques and family heirlooms, as well as baking rhubarb pies.
Don is survived by his wife, Mary Lou; his brother, Jim (Dana); his three daughters, Amy, Molly (Bill), and Sarabeth (Bruce); his son Glenn (Celia); and his nine grandchildren and two great-grandchildren, Katherine, Elizabeth, Daniel, Nicole, Benjamin, Samuel, Annie, Hannah, Evan, Luke, and John. He is preceded in death by his eldest daughter, Ann (Rick); his older brother, Bob (Barbara); and his parents, Mildred and Alfred. Don's family is grateful for the exceptional care provided by the Vitas Healthcare team in his last days.
Memorial services will be private; messages of condolences are welcomed on the Hardage-Giddens website at Hardage-GiddensChapelHills.com
Arrangements under the care and supervision of HARDAGE-GIDDENS CHAPEL HILLS FUNERAL HOME 850 St. Johns Bluff Rd. N. Jacksonville, FL 32225. (904)641-9755.
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