The
Nicholas Robbins Family
HAROLD MOYER ROBBINS
HAROLD MOYER ROBBINS (A summary of his life and family, compiled from Robbins family records and related public data by Steven B. Kay) Re: The Nicholas Robbins Family, No. 7.38.11
Harold Moyer Robbins, son of Robert Arthur Robbins (1883-1951) and Flora Ethel Moyer (1880-1955), was born in Honolulu, Hawaii on 28 Dec 1915. Harold was born at home, one hundred yards from the beach in Honolulu. Rains prevented his mother from getting to Queen's Hospital for the delivery so the doctor came to the house by boat, crossing the flooded Ala Wai Canal. The Robbins family later moved to Manoa Valley, then to Kahala and finally to Black Point. Harold attended public schools and the University of Hawaii before transferring to the University of California at Berkeley during his junior year. He graduated in 1937 with a degree in Engineering and was in the top third of his class. His studies also included coursework in military training, which led to a commission as an officer in the Army Reserve.
Following graduation, Harold went to work as an engineer for the State of California. He met wife Edythe at a residential hotel run by her aunt, where they both were staying. Edythe was born on 4 Sep 1918 and
was raised in the Bay Area. She was trained as a nurse and received a nursing degree from Mount Zion Hospital in San Francisco. Edythe and Harold were married in June, 1940 at the First Presbyterian Church on Van Ness Street in San Francisco. They had three daughters, all living.
Harold was called to service in the Army in September, 1941. He was stationed in Texas when Pearl Harbor was bombed. Edythe returned to California from Texas in June, 1942, pregnant with their first child. Later in the year, Harold was deployed overseas as an ordinance officer, first to England and then to Algeria. Two years passed before he next saw his family. By that time, their daughter was twenty months old. In October, 1945, Harold was honorably discharged from the Army as a Major.
Following the war, the family settled in Redwood City. Harold worked as an Estimator and Manager for several firms over the years including: Rothschild, Raffin & Wyrick; Barnes Construction; Johnson and Mapes; and Blach Construction. One of his major projects was the construction of the original Harrah's Hotel and Casino in Reno. In addition to his engineering career, Harold served his community as a member of the elementary school board and was actively involved in the growth of the Woodside Road Methodist Church. Following retirement in 1977, Harold and Edythe moved to Boulder Creek, California. He passed away on 17 Jan 1988 in Santa Clara. Edythe followed on 14 Dec 1999. In addition to their daughters, their descendants now include five grandchildren and seven great-grandchildren.
Submitted by Steven B. Kay, October, 2008. Mr. Kay may be contacted by email at sbkay@comcast.net.