Leroy Robinson

On November 13, 1935, Leroy Robinson was born to Jesse Robinson and Katie Rawley Robinson in Mount Airy, North Carolina. He grew in stature among close, loving grandparents, aunts, uncles, and cousins with whom he learned and played. He graduated from J. J. Jones High School in 1955 and, with Andy Norman, took a bold step, moving to Ohio in search of work. They settled in Pataskala, Ohio, where he met and married Joyce Harrison on August 5, 1958. To their union were born two daughters.

Leroy found work at Buckeye Steel Casting Company in December of 1955 and remained in its employ for 19 years. In 1974, he made another bold step, this time into entrepreneurship. He founded RobinsonHome Maintenance, which served central Ohio and was well known in this area for nearly 50 years. During this time, he partnered with his brother to buy, refurbish, and sell homes. Together, they flipped a number of properties, making home ownership dreams a reality for many. He mentored his grandson and great-grandson in the business and proudly paid them a market wage to learn from him.

With another bold step, he joined the Refuge Baptist Church of Columbus, Ohio, in 1959 and was baptized by Rev. R.F. Hairston, Sr. He was a member of the Male Chorus under the direction of Charles Simmons during his time there. In 1978, he took another bold step and moved his membership to Rock of Faith Baptist Church under the leadership of Rev. Robert Duckens. He was a faithful member until his transition.

For pleasure, pride, and leisure, Leroy was an avid bowler and spent countless hours at Piketon Lanes making strikes and crashing pins for spares. He never missed his physical workouts and boasted about his health. He also detailed with great pride, his prized 1971 “factory ordered” Grand Prix. His attention to detail was so precise that his family often teased that dust was scared to land on his car. He had a green thumb and gave close attention to his yard and garden, and could easily spend an hour or two discussing his landscape plans for the year. He and his wife participated in the Charity Club, which became an outlet for travel, fine dining, great picnics, and lifelong friendships. He also helped to instigate the annual Rawley Family Reunion, which he attended faithfully until traveling became too difficult.

On November 26, 2025, at age 90, Leroy took a final bold step and transitioned from this life. He was preceded in death by his parents, his in-laws, James and Johnnie Harrison, and his sister, Dorothy, and her husband, William Carswell, of Toledo, Ohio. He leaves the heritage of his life and memory to his wife Joyce, his daughters Marcell Robinson and Leann Robinson Johns, his brother John (Otha) Robinson, his in-laws Michael (Helen) Harrison of Ravina, Ohio, Josephine Booker, Lucille Mitchell, Thomas Harrison, Wanda Hector, Carolyn (Lee) Edwards, Deborah Harrison and William Harrison of the city. He also leaves his love with his cherished grandchildren, Antwaion, Mya, Morgan, and Tanee Robinson, and his seven great-grandchildren, one great-great-grandson, community daughter, Debbie (Rick) Humphrey, and a host of loving nieces, nephews, cousins, and friends locally and across the States.