Lawrence “Larry” G. Robbins, a Gresham, Oregon resident, died at his home on July 17, 2026. Larry was born in Seattle on February 3, 1939, the son of Robert M. and Aneita E (West) Robbins. He was raised in the Pacific Northwest and California and attended David Douglas High School in Portland prior to graduation from Madrid-Torrejon High School in Madrid, Spain.
Following graduation from California State University at Los Angeles in 1962, Larry served two years as a volunteer for the Episcopal Church in Bluefields, Nicaragua, where he worked as an ESL teacher at Colegio San Marcos and as a developer and director of various youth programs in eastern Nicaragua. He greatly cherished the memories of his years in Nicaragua and remained in touch with friends and former students throughout his life. Upon his return to the U.S., he worked for two years in the health insurance business in New York City, prior to resuming his teaching career in California. Larry married Caryn E. Porter at Monrovia, California in 1967 and soon after they relocated to Sierra County, California where Larry taught high school English and Journalism for five years. Daughter Valerie was born there in 1970.
In 1973 Larry and Caryn acquired a small farm at Woodland, Washington and soon after he went to work for Pacific Power at their hydroelectric project on the nearby Lewis River. That summer job turned into a twenty-year career. Following operator training at the Centralia Power Plant and two years as a power plant equipment operator, Larry transferred to Pacific’s Generation Projects group in Portland, where he worked as a contract administrator in
LAWRENCE G. ROBBINS
The
Nicholas Robbins Family
support of the company’s power plants for the balance of his career. Over the years, many interesting and challenging field assignments took him to power plants, electrical distribution systems and hydroelectric facilities throughout the six States served by Pacific Power.
Larry took up running during his years in Portland. He really enjoyed being outdoors on the many paths and trails around the city and the camaraderie that exists between runners. His favorite races were the Cascade Runoff, the Race Between the States and the Starlight Run, which he proudly ran one year with his daughter Valerie. Over time running became jogging and walking and the venues stretched across the country. By the time kidney cancer sidelined him in 2002, he had run in every State except Alaska.
Larry felt greatly blessed by God for the opportunities afforded him in his careers and during his retirement years. His most treasured blessing was his family, which came to include his daughter Valerie’s husband Mark, his granddaughter Grace and his wife Missy. From their home base in New Jersey, Larry and Missy enjoyed many RV travel adventures during retirement, particularly their winters in Texas and California, all the new friends they met along the way and every round of golf they ever played. Larry also developed a keen interest in genealogy during retirement and combined some of their travels with research on his Robbins family. The detailed history that resulted owes much to Missy’s help and support. Sadly, she passed away a few months after its publication in 2006.
In addition to his beloved wife, Melissa (Harris) Robbins, Larry was preceded in death by his parents and younger brother, Stephen J.M. Robbins. He is survived by Valerie, Mark and Grace Vickers, brother Steve’s family, many cousins and friends from around the world and his loving companion, Georlene. In accordance with their wishes, Larry and Missy’s cremains will be mixed together and scattered at sea on a later date. Memorials to medical organizations seeking cures for cancer would be greatly appreciated.
