Wilmer Burke Robins was born August 21, 1917 in Scipio, Utah to Clark Henry Robins and Marcella Johnson Robins. He was educated in Millard County schools and was a graduate of the LDS Business College. In 1976 Utah State University awarded him an Honorary Degree, Doctor of Agribusiness. He was know to all as "WB".
WB married Rinda Kate Anderson on May 28 1937. Rinda passed away on December 10, 1997 after and extended illness. Together they successfully raised three loving and caring children: Marianne Robins Dalley, Clark Wilmer Robins, and Hal Burke Robins, all surviving along with spouses, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren.
WB moved from his small rural town of birth as a comparatively young man to live and work in Salt Lake City. He spent the rest of his life building and supporting institutions in the public and private sector. In 1940 he
became General Manager of the Utah Cooperative Association, a regional farm
supply cooperative, and for the next 35 years preached and practiced the social and economic doctrines of the cooperative movement, that consumers could better fulfill their needs and producers could maximize their returns, from investments in local and state cooperative enterprises. He became the Western Area Development Manager for the CENEX Corporation in 1976.
WB served on numerous state and national councils, committees and advisory groups. These included: President, Utah Council of Farmer Cooperatives; Member, Board of
Directors, Cooperative League of the U.S.A.; Member, Board of Directors, National Co-operatives, Inc.; President, Salt Lake
Consumers Co-op; Member, Utah Health Maintenance Organization and, member and former Chairman, Utah State University Institutional council.
WB maintained a strong civic and political profile, assisting in the organization of the Intermountain Consumer Power Association and playing a key role in setting up the first Western States Water and Power Conference. As an idealist,
he found intellectual comfort over the years with the views of the United Nations Association of Utah, the Unitarian Universalist Association, and the Humanists of Utah. He found great spiritual comfort and peace, and a
renewal of his faith, attending the Mountain Life Church of Park City.
WB married June Ridderhoff in the spring of 1999. June and WB maintained residences in both Park City and Salt Lake City.
Services will be held Saturday, December 2, 2000, 12 noon, at the Wasatch lawn Mortuary, 3401 South Highland Drive, Salt Lake City. Family and friends may call one hour prior to the services. In lieu of flowers, the family suggests donations to Utah State
University Libraries, Utah State University, Logan, UT 84322.