Fred Thurman Robinson III was born to Fred Thurman Robinson Jr. and Lillie Pullen Robinson, on June 26, 1941, in Greenville, Mississippi, and passed from this life on June 14, 2023, in Mobile.
Fred was a graduate of Indianola High School, Delta State University and the University of Arkansas. He was of the Baptist faith and an Eagle Scout, serving as a Scoutmaster while stationed in Norfolk, Virginia. He served in the United States Naval Air Force on the USS Intrepid aircraft carrier when it was deployed to retrieve the space capsule returning Gus Grissom from his suborbital space flight.
After obtaining a BS in education, Fred began a long career in education teaching science in Greenville, Mississippi, public schools. Summer employment at Delta Branch Experiment Station doing scientific photography whetted his appetite for more education. This led him and his young family to Fayetteville, Arkansas, and agricultural research. He became well-known as an aerial photographer using infrared photography to detect crop damage from insecticides. Upon completion of his master's degree, Fred returned to the classroom, teaching in Fayetteville Public Schools and soon had the opportunity to relocate to southeast Arkansas to be closer to family.
For two years, he directed the career education program for Monticello Public Schools with summers devoted to the US Youth Conservation Corp, employing young people and their adult supervisors in wildlife and recreation areas in Drew and Bradley counties. Fred became director of the Warren Area Vocational Technical Center, helping to provide vocational technical education to students from Bradley and surrounding counties for over 20 years.
Fred was a member of the Ancient Aviators of South Alabama, American Legion Post 44 of Gulf Shores and the founding member of what he lovingly called The Dance Clan.
Fred loved wildflowers and sent seeds far and wide to make sure that people could enjoy them. Fred was also passionate about dancing. One of his favorite places to dance with his Dance Clan was Perdido Beach Resort where the music was provided by John Brust, a close friend of his.
He is survived by his wife, Jeri Robinson of Foley; three daughters, Julie King (David) and Laura Thornton (Doug) of Warren, Arkansas, and Alana Harris (Ryan) of San Antonio, Texas; two bonus sons, Donald Wayne Tedford (Teresa) of West Fork, Arkansas, and Paul Anthony Tedford (friend Hannah) of Lowell, Arkansas; one grandson, Andrew Harris; six granddaughters, Katherine King Kuhn, Emily Berryman Weeks, Sara King Hicks, Riley Greenwood, Megan Harris and Erin Harris; and four great-granddaughters. Also, survived by bonus grandsons, Blake Tedford, Tracy Tedford, Jackson Tedford, and bonus granddaughter, Brooke Tedford, and mother-in-law Isabelle Atchley.
