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Longtime housing authority attorney remembered
SHERRY KARABIN
Legal News Reporter
Published: February 25, 2019
She had two careers, multiple degrees, a passion for service and unending patience and concern for her loved ones—that’s how family and colleagues describe Akron attorney Virginia Ruth Robinson.
The life-long Akron resident passed away on Jan. 22 after an extended illness. She was 78.
“My mom was amazing,” said her daughter Valerie Robinson. “She never said no to anyone who needed help of any kind.
“She wanted to make sure everyone was taken care of, which was one of the reasons she decided to go to law school,” said Valerie. “As busy as she was she always put family first. She instilled in us the importance of doing the right thing, even when it was hard or inconvenient.
“As kind and gregarious as my mom was if she thought you were doing something wrong, she was on you immediately.”
Carmen Roberto, of counsel at Niekamp, Weisensell, Mutersbaugh & Mastrantonio described Robinson as a “warm, wonderful, funny and highly intelligent” person.
The two got to know one another at the Akron Bar Association.
“We attended some bar association events together and sat on committees together,” said Roberto. “Virginia hired me to represent the bar association in a legal matter. I was very flattered.
“Virginia was a good friend,” said Roberto. “She was an elegant and classy human being. She was a great attorney and a wonderful mother. No one ever said a bad word about her that I ever heard about.”
Born in Akron on Feb. 14, 1940 to Virgil and Dorothy Cottman, Robinson was the second youngest of their four children.
After graduating from Buchtel High School, Robinson earned her nursing degree at Saint Francis School of Nursing, embarking on her first career as a registered nurse.
“My mom started off in the emergency room at Akron General,” said Valerie. “After my youngest brother was born she worked for the Visiting Nurse Service, before moving to Akron City Hospital.
“She ended her career as a nursing supervisor,” Valerie said. “She dedicated 25 years of her life to helping others as a healthcare professional.”
Robinson met her longtime husband James on a blind date. They were married in August 1965 and had three children.
While working as a nurse, Robinson obtained a bachelor’s degree in education from The University of Akron in 1978.
In 1986, Robinson completed her juris doctor at The University of Akron School of Law.
She began her legal career as an associate at Nukes & Perantinides Co., later serving as an assistant city prosecutor for the city of Akron.
In December 1988 Robinson began working as legal counsel for the Akron Metropolitan Housing Authority (AMHA). In July 1995, she became general counsel. Robinson retired from the AMHA in February 2005.
Tony O’Leary, former executive director of the Akron Metropolitan Housing Authority worked with Robinson during her tenure at the AMHA.
“I first met Virginia when she was working for the city of Akron,” said O’Leary. “I was deputy mayor of administration at the time.
“Virginia was extremely intelligent. She was a well-rounded renaissance woman. She was a person of learning, who always sought to improve her knowledge.
“She was an excellent attorney, with an analytical mind, who was comfortable talking to everyone, which was key since we had a diverse group of clients,” said O’Leary. “She handled all our internal legal matters, coordinated our retention and communications with outside counsel and provided excellent advice to the board.”
O’Leary said after Robinson left the housing authority, she returned to the city of Akron, working as the director of human resources.
“She later returned to AMHA on a part-time basis for a few years as a legal advisor,” said O’Leary.
Jim Casey, senior counsel at the AMHA, worked with Robinson for about three years.
“She was a smart and engaging person with many interests,” said Casey. “She made a generous commitment of her time and talents to our community in leadership roles but also in many smaller and quieter ways.
“I also admired her even stronger commitment to her faith and family, which she always put first.
“She was fun to work with and readily shared her big smile and big laugh,” Casey said. “She both gave and commanded respect and she practiced law with the highest standard of ethics and integrity. We could use more Virginia Robinsons in the legal profession.”
A longtime member of the Akron Bar Association, Robinson served as president from 2003 to 2004.
Brouse McDowell partner Jeffrey Heintz was the Akron Bar Association president when she was president-elect.
“We worked closely together when she was president-elect and while she was president,” said Heintz. “Virginia was fair-minded and a consensus builder. She could work with people on both sides of an issue and bring things to a successful resolution.
“She served on a number of bar association committees before she was president,” he said. “She was president when our membership started to erode and she used her upbeat attitude to energize a lot of lawyers, convincing them to continue their membership with the bar association.
“We became very good friends,” Heintz said. “She did so much during her lifetime. She really got her money’s worth out of life.”
From 2004 to 2005, Robinson was president of the Akron Law Alumni Association Board.
In 2009, she received The University of Akron School of Law’s Outstanding Alumni Award.
Robinson was also a former Akron Symphony Orchestra president.
“My mom loved music,” said Valerie. “When she found out that my husband was a musician, she was so excited. She also had a love of gardening. Red roses were her favorite flowers. We had a rose garden in every place we lived.”
Robinson served on various boards and committees over the years at organizations such as Mobile Meals, the Community AIDS Network, Akron Community Foundation and the Port Authority.
“My mom was a wonderful woman,” said Valerie. “She was kind to everyone. I miss her terribly.”
Robinson was laid to rest at Holy Cross Cemetery on Jan. 26.
She is survived by her brother Evans Cottman; children Valerie Robinson (Jim Hilliard), James Robinson (Ai) and Jared Robinson (Cami Anderson); niece Cynthia Johnson; grandchildren Riyo, Rena and Sampson as well as other family and friends.
Her husband James Robinson and brothers Jerry Johnson and Richard Johnson all preceded her in death.