DR. ROBINSON - A RENAISSANCE MAN

Dr.  STUART, COOPER ROBINSON

Dr. Stuart Cooper Robinson was born in 1921 and sadly passed in 2011 at 90 years of age.  Three generations of the Robinson family lived in Nagoya, Japan and Dr. Stuart Robinson was born in Nagoya.   In 1938, he attended the School of Medicine at the University of Toronto and married Kitty Caswell who was a student nurse at the time.  Post graduation he became the attending physician in New  Denver  from 1948 - 1955.

New Denver was extremely  fortunate to have Dr. Robinson, he was fluent in Japanese, and made the isseis very  happy  and  comfortable.  My sister Marge, who was Dr.  Venable’s  assistant (the previous Doctor in New Denver),  became Dr. Robinson’s receptionist/nurse from the  onset to April  1950, at that time my sister  Joan took over til  June 1951.

Every year, Mother would invite Dr. Robinson and Mrs.Robinson  to our place in New Denver Orchard for New Year’s Day celebration and dinner.  Dr. Robinson proudly spoke  excellent Japanese  and they exchanged a wonderful and happy dialogue.   It was so beautiful to listen to!

I remember  Marge would bake tasty,  cinnamon buns and crochet dollies to present to Mrs. Robinson for Christmas gifts (I am sure the latter was a  “forever keepsake“  for her memory of their time in New Denver, BC).    Dr. Robinson became the sole Medical Doctor, responsible for  the TB sanatorium for the 21 bed hospital, home  to 100’s of  Sons of Freedom  and to the mining communities close to  New Denver.   Dr. Robinson loved hiking, skiing and  especially sailing.   He also loved music and was an accomplished violinist, and an enthusiastic supporter of the Nova Scotia symphony. He was a compassionate, caring and considerate person that was extremely well loved by the community.

He  retired from New Denver to pursue  a career in obstetrics and gynaecology which he studied in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.  He said many times that ”this speciality is the most  joyful aspect of medicine “.    Post  Fellow of the Royal Society of Canada, he worked one year in Kelowna, then returned back to Halifax, and in time, went to Department of Medicine at the University of Karachi, Pakistan  for over  seven years  with the mandate to foster the development of a rigorous medical training program using local expertise. He went to Japan with  Kitty  during his sabbatical  year  and retained a lifelong respect for the Japanese.

In 2001 Dr. Robinson passed away, he was predeceased by his daughter Jennifer  in 1986 and his wife, Kitty.

He was the quintessential family doctor, coming  into the  Kootenays, far away from his home, Toronto, Ontario.  This is  Dr. Robinson, almost a renaissance individual.