Randal Robinson, on the morning of February 16, 2017, arose from his bed, took out the garbage, cleaned the litter box, and wrote his own obituary. That follows here:
RANDAL FINK ROBINSON was, above all else, a father, husband, grandfather, teacher, and cat buddy who found joy in giving all he had to give. He grew up in small towns in western Kentucky—Milburn, Cunningham, Clinton, Lone Oak—son to an all-grades school principal and a teacher of bookkeeping, grandson to a dentist, a teacher of Normal School women, a horse-trader, and a housewife who gave birth to thirteen children.
In high school, he was an all-region basketball player, debater, actor, member of the a cappella choir, runner of the 880 and the mile relay, Eagle Scout who wrote on the national jamboree for the Paducah Sun (Democrat), and a good student. His B.A. he had from Washington and Lee University and his Ph.D. from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
As a member of the Michigan State University Department of English for thirty-nine years and the occasional team-teacher in the Department of Theater, he taught literature, drama, theater, and writing, mentored more than a hundred graduate students in their apprenticeships as teachers, and provided workshops in the reading of Shakespeare’s language for sophomores at East Lansing High School, Sexton High, Dansville High School, and Maple Valley Junior-Senior High. Out of his work in the schools came his Unlocking Shakespeare’s Language: Help for the Teacher and Student, published by the National Council of Teachers of English.
As an actor, he performed in various productions at Michigan State, the BoarsHead in Lansing, and the Okemos Barn Theater. Also, as an actor, he helped a group of theater majors just graduated from MSU establish a new theater company—justly named the Somnambulist Project—in Chapel Hill, North Carolina. For the importance and variety of his contributions, he received teaching awards from his own college (Arts and Letters), the State of Michigan, and the Amoco Foundation. In retirement, he enjoyed his children, grandchildren, and wonderful wife, Carole, cut firewood, played golf, and smiled for his place as audience to the young: their births and birthdays, their adventures, their studies, their games, their struggles, their achievements, their all-elating joys. As he looked toward the end, Randal Robinson called himself a fortunate man.
Randal died on Monday, October 6, 2025. He is survived by his wife, Carole Laxton Robinson; his sons, William (Deborah) and John Gore, adopted daughter, Marianne Johnson; and grandchildren, John, Ellie, Jake, and Anna. He is survived by his stepchildren, Brett (Heather) Chapman, Cristi (Chris) Chapman, Cari (Aaron) Belbeck; and stepgrandchildren, Caleb, Micah, Joshua, Joel, Keagan, and Marleigh.
A Celebration of Life will be held later. In lieu of flowers, please perform an act of kindness when someone least expects it.
Arrangements by Caskey-Mitchell Funeral Home, Stockbridge.
