William Graham Robeson

William “Bill” Graham Robeson, of Chester, MD., died on Tuesday, Decemeber 28, 2010. He was 83. Born on October 4, 1927 in Rochester, New York, to the late Stacy and Alyss Robeson. Bill grew up with his mother’s family in Cotuit, Massachusetts on Cape Cod. He developed a love for the water, sailing and seafood and grew particularly close to his grandmother Florence Tomlinson Graham. He graduated from Cushing Academy in Ashburnham, Massachusetts and in 1945 enlisted at the age of 17 in the U.S. Navy, where he served as a seaman aboard the U.S.S. Kearsarge. After the war he attended Syracuse University graduating in 1952 with a Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration. At Syracuse, Bill was a member of the Sigma Phi Epsilon fraternity and married his Alpha Phi sweetheart Diane. Bill was employed by the Atlantic Refining Company and owned several service stations in the Rochester area. In 1954, he joined the Haloid Photographic Company, which became the Xerox Corporation in 1961. At Xerox, Bill functioned first as a sales representative and was transferred to the company’s Baltimore region in 1959. Bill loved the Baltimore area and Maryland’s Eastern Shore. He maintained a boat on the Chesapeake Bay and was an ardent supporter of the area’s sports teams for the rest of his life. In 1972 Bill chose to leave Xerox for the opportunity to own his own marina, purchasing Bowman’s Marina in Deep Creek Lake, Maryland, and managed the business until his departure in 1979. In Garrett County Bill was a member of the Deep Creek Lion’s Club, and was active in many of its initiatives, including the establishment of Winterfest festivals. In 1980, Bill joined American H.V. Test Systems, Inc., which later became Phenix Technologies, in Accident, Maryland, from which he retired in 1992. In 2000, Bill and Diane moved to Kent Island on Maryland’s Eastern shore, again being in proximity to the water environment he loved. He was an avid golfer all his life, and was especially proud of his hole-in-one on the 13th at Wisp Resort in Deep Creek Lake. Bill Robeson is survived by his loving wife of 58 years, Diane Robeson, 4 children, Bruce W. Robeson (Lynn Monica) of San Diego, CA; Lynn A. Robeson (Steve Hannan) of Columbia, MD; Lisa G. Robeson (James Walter) of Bluffton, OH; and Mark W. Robeson (Christi Gable) of Shaker Heights, OH; 3 grandchildren, Travis W. Robeson, Ian Gallagher and Nicholas Gallagher; and a sister, Anne Miller of Berkeley ,CA. Memorial Services will be held on January 16, 2011 at 11:30 A.M. at the Fellows, Helfenbein & Newnam Funeral Home at 106 Shamrock Road in Chester, Maryland. Services will be preceded by a visitation at 10:30 A.M. If you plan to attend the memorial service please RSVP to mark.robeson@gmail.com To share a memory of Bill with his family, please visit http://williamrobeson.blogspot.com In lieu of flowers, charitable donations are being accepted on behalf of the Hospice of Queen Anne’s. You can find them online at www.hospiceofqueenannes.com

William Graham Robeson

October 4, 1927 - December 28, 2010