John Duncan Robinson, 89, passed from his earthly life on Friday, March 4, 2016 at his home. He was born April 15, 1926 in Wilmington, the son of John Daniel Robinson, M.D. and Lewellyn Williams Robinson

Dr. Robinson is survived by his wife, Judith Hope King Robinson; sons, J. Daniel Robinson (Tanya) and Leslie Scott Robinson (Jennifer) all of Wallace; daughter, Dee Anna R. Mott (Keith) of Rocky Mount; step-son, Henry Pye (Sybil) of Durham; grandchildren, Candi Szabo, Kelsie Smith, Taylor Robinson, John Scott Robinson, Caroline Robinson, Brady Roberts, Breyer Roberts; step-grandsons, Kenneth Pye and Jack Pye; and six great grandchildren.

Dr. Robinson attended public schools in Wallace and graduated high school in 1944 from McCallie School in Chattanooga, TN. He entered the US Naval Reserve in 1944, serving in the South Pacific Theater as a radio operator aboard the U.S.S. Dixie, a destroyer tender, and the U.S.S. Amador, an ammunition ship. In the fall of 1946 John entered the University of Chapel Hill graduating with a Bachelor of Arts Degree in 1950. In the fall 1950 he entered Pennsylvania College of Optometry and received a Doctor of Optometry Degree in the spring of 1954, practicing continuously in Wallace, NC, his entire career. John was proud of his family, John Daniel, O.D., a 1972 graduate of UNC Wilmington and a 1976 graduate of the university of Alabama in Birmingham, School of Optometry; Dee Anna Robinson Mott, a Registered Nurse and Leslie Scott Robinson, a livestock farmer; seven grandchildren; and six great grandchildren. In May of 2002, John married Judith King Pye.

John was engaged in private practice in Wallace with J. Daniel Robinson, O.D., a practice that was founded as a solo practice in 1950; currently with two practices operating as a Professional Corporation under the name of Optometric Associates, P.A., serving the primary eye care needs of patients encompassing an area with a population of some 35,000 people in rural eastern North Carolina. He was executive Director of the NC Board of Optometry.

Professional: Member North Carolina State Optometric Society, Southern Council of Optometrists, American Optometric Association, Life Member American Optometric Foundation, Life Member in the Association of Regulatory Boards in Optometry, formerly the International Association of Boards of Examiners in Optometry. Vice-President North Carolina State Optometric Society, Department of Legislation from 1957-1969, at which time the Society was reorganized in the pattern of the American Optometric Association; Trustee-Director of the Department of State Affairs, North Carolina State Optometric Society from 1969-1972; Vice President, North Carolina State Optometric Society from 1972-1974; elected Executive Vice President, North Carolina State Optometric Society, June 1974; elected President, North Carolina State Optometric Society 1975-1977; Immediate Past President, North Carolina State Optometric Society 1977-1978; appointed to the North Carolina State Board of Examiners in Optometry in 1964, serving continuously until July 1990; currently serving as the Executive Director of North Carolina State Board of Examiners in Optometry; served as Secretary-Treasurer of the International Association of Boards of Examiners in Optometry from 1967-1984; member of the IAB Board of Directors from 1985 to 1992; contributing participant at the American Optometric Association Arlie Conference in 1969; consultant to the Committee on Public Health Optometry of the American Optometric Association, 1969-1970; member of the Governor's Advisory Council on Comprehensive Health Planning for the State of North Carolina, 1968-1972; contributing participant at the American Optometric Association's Conference on Continuing Education in Williamsburg, Virginia, in 1972; member of the Optometricolegal Task Force of the American Optometric Association from 1975-1976; member of the AOA's Scope of Practice Committee 1978-1979; member of the North Carolina Task Force on Health Manpower of the Council on Comprehensive Health Planning; member of the North Carolina Manpower Technical Advisory Committee of the Council on Comprehensive Health Planning; representative from the Comprehensive Health Planning Council to the Joint Committee of Comprehensive Health Planning and Regional Medical Program; appointed as a member of the Technical Consultant Panel on Health Manpower and Facilities, National Center for Health Statistics, Department of Health, Education and Welfare in 1976; Secretary and Vice Chairman of the Professional Advisory Committee to the North Carolina State Commission for the Blind from 1969 to 1978; upon the formation of the Federation of Associations of Health Regulatory Boards in 1974, appointed to the Board of Trustees of the Federation by the International Association of Boards of Examiners in Optometry. Served as either Vice-President, Secretary/Treasurer or President of the Federation from its inception until retirement from the Board in January of 1993; in July 1977, elected and currently serving as a Research Associate of the Health Services Research Center of the University of North Carolina; elected in 1982 to a five-year terms on the National Board of Examiners in Optometry; re-elected in July 1987 to a second five year term; 1985-1987 Secretary/Treasurer of the National Board of Examiners in Optometry,1987-1989; Vice President of the National Board of Examiners in Optometry; elected President of the NBEO in June 1989, serving as President until retiring from the Board in June of 1992; Fellow, National Academies of Practice having been elected a Distinguished Practitioner and Member of the National Academy of Practice in Optometry in December of 1984, Secretary-Treasurer of the Academy June 1998 to 2004; 1982-1989 consultant to State Legislative Affairs Advisory Committee (SLAAC) of the American Optometric Association; June 1989 appointed chairman of the Licensing and Regulation Committee, State Legislative Center of the American Optometric Association; member of the North Carolina Eye and Human Tissue Bank.

HONORS:
Awarded "Optometrist of the South" award by the Southern Council of Optometrists in 1970.
Awarded the "John D. Costabile Distinguished Service Award" by the North Carolina State Optometric Society in June of 1979.
December 1984 inducted into the National Academy of Practice as a Distinguished Practitioner and Fellow of the National Academy of Practice in Optometry.
Awarded Presidential Medal of Honor in May of 1995 at the 75th Anniversary Celebration at the Pennsylvania College of Optometry.
Recipient of an "Honorary Doctor of Laws" degree bestowed by the Pennsylvania College of Optometry in May of 1999.

Honored by the North Carolina State Optometric Society in June, 2002, at the 25th Anniversary Celebration of the enactment of its therapeutic drug law through the establishment of the "John D. Robinson Clinical Excellence Award", an award to be granted each year to that North Carolina optometrist showing "excellence in clinical practice and ophthalmic medicine".

In 2006 elected to the National Optometry Hall of Fame with the induction ceremonies taking place at the EastWest Eye Conference in October 2006.

A memorial service will be 2:00 p.m. on Saturday, March 12, 2016 at Wallace Presbyterian Church with a reception to follow the service. The Rev. Dr. Phil Gladden will conduct the service with Mr. Johnny Loper speaking on behalf of the Board of Examiners.

In lieu of flowers memorial gifts may be given to Salus University, 8360 Old York Road, Elkins Park, PA 19027, Wallace Presbyterian Church, PO Box 717, Wallace, NC 28466 or charity of your choice.

A service of Quinn-McGowen Funeral Home, Wallace, NC