St. John Robinson, 74, of Billings, died March 12, 2018, at RiverStone Hospice House, with his family at his side.
G.A. St. John Robinson, Jr. was born to George A.S. Robinson and Lulu May Schnarr Robinson on 11 November 1943, in Belize, British Honduras. His sister Inez Mary joined the family a couple of years later. In 1947, the family moved to Bluefields, Nicaragua. Realizing that George would be posted frequently to different countries in Central and South America for his work in the lumber industry, Lulu started the process in 1950 to move the family to New Orleans, where many people from Central America looked to the Ochsner Clinic for healthcare. St. John attended elementary school at McDonough 14 and attended St. Andrew’s School, an Episcopalian boarding school in Sewanee, Tennessee. George would visit as frequently as he could, but from 1950 to 1963, the family was based in New Orleans. In 1963, they moved to Baton Rouge so both children could pursue higher education at Louisiana State University. St. John received his BA in 1966, MA in 1971, and PhD in 1981 from LSU.
In 1970, St. John moved to Tacoma, Washington, to teach Spanish at Pacific Lutheran University. There, he met and married Julie Price on 16 August 1975. They moved to Baton Rouge in 1977, where he was a teaching assistant and continued work on his thesis. In 1979, he accepted a position at Virginia Military Institute in Lexington, Virginia, where first son Paul C.S. was born in July 1980. St. John received his Ph.D. in 1981 and accepted a position at EMC in Billings, teaching Spanish. The legislature did not meet to fund his position that year, so he accepted a one-year appointment at Randolph-Macon Women’s College in Lynchburg, Virginia. He was elated with the move to Billings in August 1982 because he had spent a summer during college working at Yellowstone National Park and loved the area. In 1983, the family became homeowners and second son John A.T. was born in March 1984. During school year 1986-87, the family moved to the now independent country of Belize for St. John to research migration patterns with the support of a Fulbright Grant. Friends and family visited during that memorable year.
In 1987, St. John once more took up his lifelong favorite occupation of teaching Spanish and, in June 1991, third son Julian M.G. was born. From 1990 to 1992, St. John chaired the Academic Senate during the time the change from quarters to semesters was accomplished.
During his lengthy teaching career at EMC/MSU-B from 1982 to 2017, he taught numerous Spanish courses and always made sure he taught a Spanish 101/102 course because he strongly believed that students need a good basic foundation. During his tenure as professor, he served on numerous academic committees, was a Board Member with the Montana Migrant Council, Chair of Modern Languages, and took many groups of students on study trips to Mexico, Spain and China. He traveled a great deal to complete research begun during the Fulbright year in Belize and in 2006 published the culmination of that research, Peopling Belize: Chapters in Migration.
St. John is preceded in death by his parents, and survived by stepmother Lilleth Robinson of Miami, FL. He is survived by wife Julie; sons Paul (Diane) of Longmont, CO; John (Nancy) of Billings; and Julian of Missoula; his sister Mary Cross (Joseph), and their children Sarah and David. He is also survived by many cousins in the USA, Belize, Canada and Europe. He leaves his beloved dog Maddie and cat George Catlett.
Cremation has taken place. A memorial gathering is planned for March 24 at MSU-Billings from 1 to 4 p.m. in the Northcutt Steele Gallery area on the first floor of the Liberal Arts Building.
Memorial gifts may be sent to Montana Health FCU, Attn: Dennis Wizeman, P.O. Box 2376, Billings MT 59103-2376, where a fund has been set up until the family decides on the form of a memorial at MSU-Billings.
The family wishes to thank Dr. Fabregas and the staff of Billings Clinic Cancer Center and ICC who cared for him during cancer treatments.
They also wish to extend heartfelt thanks to the staff at the RiverStone Health Hospice House for the incredible care St. John received during his final weeks. Lastly to friends, family, colleagues, and students who visited from near and far, you made St. John’s last days happier and brighter than we could have hoped for.
From St. John’s first students at PLU in 1970 to his last students at MSU-Billings in 2017, he loved teaching and found many of his students to be interesting, engaging and a joy to have as lifelong friends and colleagues. He is gone from us too soon. Adios, Profe.
St. John was a true gentleman and friend. The very well done obituary makes reference to a two-year period of time at EMC/MSU-Billings when the transition was taking place from the quarter system to semester system. He and I got to know one another quite well during that particular period of time because he had charge over making certain every academic program met every academic and transition policy and standard to assure students would continue to receive a top notch education and graduate with all requirements of their degree program met. My job was to translate all of the work of the Academic Senate and others into an easy to understand college catalogue and other publications for students to follow. There were times we both wanted to pull our hair out, but I can honestly say that I have never worked with a more patient, thoughtful, and gentle individual. He will be missed, but he leaves a wonderful legacy.
Hello. What a nice obituary. I’m sorry that we had to meet at Hospice, but I am glad that our paths crossed. Janet, I enjoyed our visits and wish we could work on a puzzle together again. I just wanted to let you know that Mom (Carol Ellis) only stayed one day longer than St.John, leaving us on the morning of the 13th. Take care, all of you.
Although I didn’t get to spend much time with St.John I was truly impressed by his friendship and cherish the memories I have of the time I did get to spend with him. After reading of his life and accomplishments I realize how much bigger he really was. He will be missed by all who met him and his foot prints will live on for ever. Thinking of you and the boys, sorry we are not there with you celebrating the great husband, father and mentor to many that he was.
I can’t tell you how sorry I am. My sincere condolences. May you find peace.
Julie and Boys: We remember St John as a kind and gentle soul. Saddened to hear of your great loss, but knowing the wonderful memories will keep him alive in your hearts, Keeping you all in our prayers, Kathy and Jim Karls
What a wonderful well lived “story” of St John. He left a proud legacy both through his family and his career. Thank you for putting it on paper. I was one of his first students at PLU and the friendship continued on after we both became Montanans. He made a profound impact on my life. Gone too soon and forever remembered. I shared this obit with Pacific Lutheran University. SO sorry to miss the memorial on Saturday / promise good thoughts and prayers to you all. Sincerely, Gayle Severson Berg
I knew him from St. Andrews. He was senior prefect in the dorm my first year there— in second form (grade 8), 1962, I think. He was friendly, fair, kind, decent, smart, and someone I’ve thought only well of for these near 60 years. Fair winds, old friend.
St. John was an incredible teacher. Beacause of his teaching and the Spanish program at MSU-Billings I am now fully bi-lingual and currently living in Mexico with my family (2 kids are bi-lingual). You will be truely missed, but left your legacy behind impacting the lives of thousands of students.