Before John Robinson, 92, was a father of four, a grandfather of
15 and a great-grandfather of seven, he was a small-town boy with
big dreams and a big future.
Before John Robinson, 92, was a father of four, a grandfather of 15 and a great-grandfather of seven, he was a small-town boy with big dreams and a big future.
Growing up in Carthage, S.D., population 500, he was one of nine siblings who lived with his father and grandmother.
“I remember she came to live with us and she would always make pancakes in the morning,” he said. “When I would come home from school she would offer me cold pancakes to eat and I was like ‘ah no.’ But she insisted if I didn’t eat the cold pancakes I wouldn’t be getting anything at all.”
At age 15, John moved to sunny Los Angeles and graduated high school in 1931. Although it was the middle of the depression, John said his family was very fortunate because his stepfather was the deputy sheriff of Los Angeles County. His job at a fruit and vegetable stand earned him $2.50 a week, which he said was enough to keep him going in his heyday.
“Back then you could get a huge hamburger with pickles, onions, tomato and lettuce for 15 cents,” he said.
When he graduated high school, John spent two years playing major league baseball for the Los Angeles Angels. When he threw out his arm, his baseball career took the back burner and he joined the Navy in 1933. After boot camp and some extra training, John was shipped to Salvador Bahia, Brazil, where he worked as an electrical officer, repairing ships coming from war and sending them back out. During his time in Brazil, a native woman, Olindina Paim, caught his eye and the couple fell in love and married on March 2, 1944.
“When my oldest son was little, I used to tell him I was running through the jungles of Brazil from a big snake when his mama reached out of the trees and saved me,” he said.
John barely spoke a word of Portuguese and his wife spoke very little English.
“I could ask her if she wanted to dance and I knew enough to order a nice meal,” he said.
To this day, John said the most important thing he has done in his life was marry the woman he loves. Throughout their 60 years together, the couple has moved from Japan to South Carolina to Virginia to New York and finally back to California. After 23 years in the Navy, John finally retired and returned to his love of baseball. He admits he has tried to engage all 15 grandchildren in baseball, and he enjoys going to watch them play. Watching athletics and playing his cards keeps him busy these days.
“Tell anyone who wants to play some cards to come on over,” he said.
