Sears executive loved Indiana -- and to laugh

Richard P. Robinson of Geneva had a serious job, as vice president and general counsel for Sears Merchandise Group.

That didn't mean he couldn't take a joke.

Co-workers and family fondly recall his sense of humor. Robinson, 80, of Geneva, died Saturday.

"He could poke fun at himself," said his daughter, Sue Ellen Robinson of Geneva.

And he loved his home state of Indiana.

"He never lost touch with his hometown," said Robinson. Her father subscribed to the local paper for Auburn, and attended a high school reunion recently.

"He was very, very loyal to Sears," she said, noting how he insisted on buying goods from Sears. "Even if it didn't work (as well), you got it there."

Robinson joined Sears as a trainee in 1951 at its headquarters on Homan Avenue in Chicago, becoming manager of the trade practices division in the merchandise comparison department in 1953. In 1960 he joined the law department as an attorney. He was elected vice president and general counsel in 1981, and retired at the end of 1986.

Ron Olbrysh, who worked with Robinson, recalled that at Robinson's retirement party, they handed out coupons with Robinson's picture on them; whoever received one got to hear an Indiana story.

"He was a real character -- he was just hysterical."

Robinson was a good sport, participating in humorous films made each year from 1979 to 1986 for the employees' Christmas celebration.

One of them, a takeoff on Michael Jackson's "Billy Jean" video, ended with a shot of Robinson, wearing one sequined glove.

"How many general counsels would do that?" Olbrysh said.

"But he cared for his staff. He listened to you," said Olbrysh, then assistant counsel, explaining how Robinson oversaw a staff of 60 attorneys and 40 support workers.

Robinson grew up in Auburn, Ind. He served in the Naval Reserves, then graduated from the University of Notre Dame and Indiana University, where he received his law degree.

He had a teaching fellowship at New York University, where he met his wife, Elizabeth. She died in 2005.

Robinson is survived by his four children - Kathryn A. Berryhill of Houston, Sue Ellen Robinson, Thomas A. Robinson and Philip S. Robinson, all of Geneva; his grandchildren Laura, Rachael, Timothy, Julia and Michael; and his sister, Virginia Robinson.

Visitation will be from 4 to 9 p.m. Friday at Malone Funeral Home, 324 E. State St., Geneva. A funeral service will be held at 10 a.m. Saturday at the funeral home, followed by Mass at 11 a.m. at St. Peter Catholic Church, 1891 Kaneville Road. He will be buried in River Hills Cemetery in Batavia.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests memorials to the Coalition for Pulmonary Fibrosis in care of PNC Bank, P.O. Box 31001-0943, Pasadena, Calif., 91110-0943. Mrs. Robinson had pulmonary fibrosis.