Donald Robinson

Kerrville Donald Edward Robinson, 74, passed away ly and peacefully on Friday, October 29, 2010. He was born on July 14, 1936 in Austin to Z.R. Robinson, and Mabel Clare LaGrone Robinson. He grew up in Leon County, Texas, and San Angelo, and finished high school in Waco. His lifelong love of learning resulted in three degrees from the University of Texas. He married Donna Snow in 1959. After receiving his Ph.D. in 1963, he worked for Tracor, a research firm in Austin, and from there moved with his family, which now included two children, to Bloomington, Indiana where he taught in the Psychology Department for 36 years.

Dons research on fundamental aspects of hearing has been widely cited by scientists in the US and abroad. He conducted groundbreaking studies of the human listeners abilities to store and recall minute details of sounds, of binaural hearing that accounts for our ability to hear where a sound comes from, and of the internal noise of the nervous system that sets the limits of the most acute hearing. He was widely admired among his colleagues in hearing research for both elegant experiments and for insightful theoretical interpretations of knotty problems. He had a profound influence on the careers of many graduate students whom he trained at Indiana University. He was also known for his ability to make university courses enjoyable, even subjects like experimental design and statistics that students often find stressful in the extreme.

A true native Texan, Don always planned to return as soon as possible, so when he retired in 2000, he and his wife moved to Kerrville, where he greatly enjoyed becoming a certified Master Naturalist and volunteering at the KerrvilleSchreiner Butterfly Garden.

He is survived by his wife and friend, of 51 years, Donna Snow Robinson. He is also survived by their two loving children, and three brilliant grandchildren. He was very proud of them all, especially their academic achievements. They are daughter, Linda Robinson Barr, MLS son, Robert L. Robinson, Ph.D. his wife Celeste and grandchildren Sarah Robinson, Audrey Robinson, and Connor Barr.

The family wants to thank the staff at Sid Peterson Memorial Hospital Emergency Department, especially Dr. Escamilla, and the attending physicians at TexSan Hospital, Drs. Diane Greiner and David White for their skilled and compassionate care.

A celebration of his life will be held on Saturday, December 11, 2010, 3:30 PM at the Unity Church of the Hill Country.

Memorial gifts may be made in his name to Indiana University College of Arts and Science, co Indiana University Foundation The University of Texas School of Liberal Arts or The Nature Conservancy.

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