Richard L. Robinson, Sr.

Richard Long Robinson Sr., 84, of Spartanburg, SC, died Tuesday, August 8, 2023 at Spartanburg Regional Hospice Home. Born July 19^th, 1939 in Spartanburg, he was the son of Nathaniel Pressly and Mildred Long Robinson.

Richard earned his Bachelor’s in Mathematics from Wofford College in 1961. He went on to receive a MA and a PhD in Mathematics from the University of Tennessee. After completing his PhD, Richard married Bertice Teague on August 29^th, 1964 in Whitmire, SC.

After serving in the United States Army, Richard returned to Wofford College where he taught for almost 40 years. During his tenure at Wofford, Richard served as Chair of the Mathematics Department, and the Director of the Gifted and Talented Summer Program, which was designed to challenge 5^th – 9^th grade students by honing their reasoning, problem-solving and decision-making skills through hands-on experiences. By his retirement in 2004, he had earned the distinction of Larry Hearn McCalla Professor of Mathematics, Emeritus.

Richard was an active member of Central United Methodist Church, where he reliably distributed bulletins and collected offering each Sunday. Richard was a member of the Upper Room Sunday School Class and was known for his meaningful and thought-provoking lessons.

Richard was a man of quiet intelligence, as well as a gifted educator and orator. His quick wit and dry humor were distinctive characteristics of his Sunday School Lessons, class lectures, and speaking engagements. He will be remembered for his dedication to and love for his wife, his family, higher education, and the church.

Along with his wife, he is survived by; his granddaughters, Katherine Adelle Parris of Spartanburg, SC  and Sarah Elizabeth Parris of Greenwood, SC; `and by his son-in-law, James Kevin Parris of Spartanburg, SC. He is also survived by his brother, William Pressly Robinson (Cheryl); his niece and nephew Sarah Eliane Dodson-Robinson (Eric) and Nathaniel Edward Robinson (Shannon). He was predeceased by his son, Richard Long Robinson, Jr. and his daughter Melissa Robinson Parris.

A Memorial service will be at 4:00 p.m. on Friday, August 11th at Central United Methodist Church, 233 North Church Street, Spartanburg, SC 29306, conducted by The Rev. Cameron Treece and The Rev. Willie Teague. Visitation will follow the service in the Fellowship Hall at the church until 6 p.m. Entombment will be in the Central United Methodist Church Columbarium at a later date.

In lieu of flowers, Memorials may be made to the Dr. Richard L. RobinsonScholarship, c/o the Spartanburg County Foundation, 424 E. Kennedy Street, Spartanburg, SC 29302 or by visiting https://spcf.org/give/online and typing in “Dr. Richard L. Robinson Scholarship” in the Choose Your Fund section.

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