Donald Kelly Robbins, Ph.D. was born April 6, 1924, in Santa Fe, New Mexico, to Jewell Aileen Reding of Cheatham County, Tennessee, and Laud Davis Robbins (L. D.) of Sparta, Tennessee. He passed away November 17, 2018.
Donald graduated as valedictorian of his high school class in 1941. He graduated Cum Laude from Texas Tech College in 1944, with a degree in Physics and attended the University of Minnesota, where he received a Master's Degree in 1949. In 1952, he received a Ph.D. in Physics from Vanderbilt University.
He served in the US Navy from 1944 to 1946. He was a member of a crew flying target drones for gunnery practice by Navy destroyers. From that early start, drones have advanced mightily.
Donald was part of the Research Staff at the Field Research Lab of Magnolia Oil Company in Dallas. He started his career at Sandia National Labs in 1952. While at Sandia, he worked in Reliability, the Computer Organization, Perimeter Security and Drafting. He was fortunate to be there near the birth of computers. He witnessed the change from "big iron" room-size computers to the small PC (personal computers). For a time, he was supervisor of the Advance Technics Division, charged with pushing back the frontiers of computing at Sandia. He retired after 49½ years at Sandia. "It was time to go."
A short time before retirement until 2014, with the support of Betty Hawley, he transcribed 9/10ths of the 1860 Tennessee Census encompassing over 900,000 names. These were placed on a public web site, to be available to all.
He hopes that in his passing he will be remembered by many, and that he will be missed by some.
His parents, Jewell Aileen Reding of Cheatham County, Tennessee, and Laud Davis Robbins (L. D.); his younger brother, Earl; as well as his first wife, Exa Robina Culpepper; and second wife, Shirley Evans, preceded him in death.
Donald is survived by his long-time companion, Betty Hawley, who filled his last years with love and joy; four children: Donna Lynn Sullivan (Lynn) and husband, David, of Albuquerque; Kyra Ann Ludwigson of St. Paul, MN; and grandchildren, Katy Zitzer and husband, Marko Zitzer; great-grandson, Vincent Mark Zitzer; and Ben Ludwigson; Dr. David Nichols Robbins of Albuquerque and wife, Ruthie Horn; and two grandchildren, Dr. Michael David Robbins and wife, Dr. Katherine Robbins of Washington, DC; and Mandy Robbins of Albuquerque; and Janna Sue Bordeaux of Phoenix, AZ; and his sister-in-law, Joyce Robbins, of Phoenix, AZ.
Donald graduated as valedictorian of his high school class in 1941. He graduated Cum Laude from Texas Tech College in 1944, with a degree in Physics and attended the University of Minnesota, where he received a Master's Degree in 1949. In 1952, he received a Ph.D. in Physics from Vanderbilt University.
He served in the US Navy from 1944 to 1946. He was a member of a crew flying target drones for gunnery practice by Navy destroyers. From that early start, drones have advanced mightily.
Donald was part of the Research Staff at the Field Research Lab of Magnolia Oil Company in Dallas. He started his career at Sandia National Labs in 1952. While at Sandia, he worked in Reliability, the Computer Organization, Perimeter Security and Drafting. He was fortunate to be there near the birth of computers. He witnessed the change from "big iron" room-size computers to the small PC (personal computers). For a time, he was supervisor of the Advance Technics Division, charged with pushing back the frontiers of computing at Sandia. He retired after 49½ years at Sandia. "It was time to go."
A short time before retirement until 2014, with the support of Betty Hawley, he transcribed 9/10ths of the 1860 Tennessee Census encompassing over 900,000 names. These were placed on a public web site, to be available to all.
He hopes that in his passing he will be remembered by many, and that he will be missed by some.
His parents, Jewell Aileen Reding of Cheatham County, Tennessee, and Laud Davis Robbins (L. D.); his younger brother, Earl; as well as his first wife, Exa Robina Culpepper; and second wife, Shirley Evans, preceded him in death.
Donald is survived by his long-time companion, Betty Hawley, who filled his last years with love and joy; four children: Donna Lynn Sullivan (Lynn) and husband, David, of Albuquerque; Kyra Ann Ludwigson of St. Paul, MN; and grandchildren, Katy Zitzer and husband, Marko Zitzer; great-grandson, Vincent Mark Zitzer; and Ben Ludwigson; Dr. David Nichols Robbins of Albuquerque and wife, Ruthie Horn; and two grandchildren, Dr. Michael David Robbins and wife, Dr. Katherine Robbins of Washington, DC; and Mandy Robbins of Albuquerque; and Janna Sue Bordeaux of Phoenix, AZ; and his sister-in-law, Joyce Robbins, of Phoenix, AZ.
Donald Kelly Robbins, Ph.D. was born April 6, 1924, in Santa Fe, New Mexico, to Jewell Aileen Reding of Cheatham County, Tennessee, and Laud Davis Robbins (L. D.) of Sparta, Tennessee. He passed away November 17, 2018.
Donald graduated as valedictorian of his high school class in 1941. He graduated Cum Laude from Texas Tech College in 1944, with a degree in Physics and attended the University of Minnesota, where he received a Master's Degree in 1949. In 1952, he received a Ph.D. in Physics from Vanderbilt University.
He served in the US Navy from 1944 to 1946. He was a member of a crew flying target drones for gunnery practice by Navy destroyers. From that early start, drones have advanced mightily.
Donald was part of the Research Staff at the Field Research Lab of Magnolia Oil Company in Dallas. He started his career at Sandia National Labs in 1952. While at Sandia, he worked in Reliability, the Computer Organization, Perimeter Security and Drafting. He was fortunate to be there near the birth of computers. He witnessed the change from "big iron" room-size computers to the small PC (personal computers). For a time, he was supervisor of the Advance Technics Division, charged with pushing back the frontiers of computing at Sandia. He retired after 49½ years at Sandia. "It was time to go."
A short time before retirement until 2014, with the support of Betty Hawley, he transcribed 9/10ths of the 1860 Tennessee Census encompassing over 900,000 names. These were placed on a public web site, to be available to all.
He hopes that in his passing he will be remembered by many, and that he will be missed by some.
His parents, Jewell Aileen Reding of Cheatham County, Tennessee, and Laud Davis Robbins (L. D.); his younger brother, Earl; as well as his first wife, Exa Robina Culpepper; and second wife, Shirley Evans, preceded him in death.
Donald is survived by his long-time companion, Betty Hawley, who filled his last years with love and joy; four children: Donna Lynn Sullivan (Lynn) and husband, David, of Albuquerque; Kyra Ann Ludwigson of St. Paul, MN; and grandchildren, Katy Zitzer and husband, Marko Zitzer; great-grandson, Vincent Mark Zitzer; and Ben Ludwigson; Dr. David Nichols Robbins of Albuquerque and wife, Ruthie Horn; and two grandchildren, Dr. Michael David Robbins and wife, Dr. Katherine Robbins of Washington, DC; and Mandy Robbins of Albuquerque; and Janna Sue Bordeaux of Phoenix, AZ; and his sister-in-law, Joyce Robbins, of Phoenix, AZ.
Donald graduated as valedictorian of his high school class in 1941. He graduated Cum Laude from Texas Tech College in 1944, with a degree in Physics and attended the University of Minnesota, where he received a Master's Degree in 1949. In 1952, he received a Ph.D. in Physics from Vanderbilt University.
He served in the US Navy from 1944 to 1946. He was a member of a crew flying target drones for gunnery practice by Navy destroyers. From that early start, drones have advanced mightily.
Donald was part of the Research Staff at the Field Research Lab of Magnolia Oil Company in Dallas. He started his career at Sandia National Labs in 1952. While at Sandia, he worked in Reliability, the Computer Organization, Perimeter Security and Drafting. He was fortunate to be there near the birth of computers. He witnessed the change from "big iron" room-size computers to the small PC (personal computers). For a time, he was supervisor of the Advance Technics Division, charged with pushing back the frontiers of computing at Sandia. He retired after 49½ years at Sandia. "It was time to go."
A short time before retirement until 2014, with the support of Betty Hawley, he transcribed 9/10ths of the 1860 Tennessee Census encompassing over 900,000 names. These were placed on a public web site, to be available to all.
He hopes that in his passing he will be remembered by many, and that he will be missed by some.
His parents, Jewell Aileen Reding of Cheatham County, Tennessee, and Laud Davis Robbins (L. D.); his younger brother, Earl; as well as his first wife, Exa Robina Culpepper; and second wife, Shirley Evans, preceded him in death.
Donald is survived by his long-time companion, Betty Hawley, who filled his last years with love and joy; four children: Donna Lynn Sullivan (Lynn) and husband, David, of Albuquerque; Kyra Ann Ludwigson of St. Paul, MN; and grandchildren, Katy Zitzer and husband, Marko Zitzer; great-grandson, Vincent Mark Zitzer; and Ben Ludwigson; Dr. David Nichols Robbins of Albuquerque and wife, Ruthie Horn; and two grandchildren, Dr. Michael David Robbins and wife, Dr. Katherine Robbins of Washington, DC; and Mandy Robbins of Albuquerque; and Janna Sue Bordeaux of Phoenix, AZ; and his sister-in-law, Joyce Robbins, of Phoenix, AZ.
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