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Obituary

Stunt man, singer and Vegas DJ

The Riverview man performed in an Elvis Presley movie and on stage with Bob Hope and Marty Robbins.

By MARTY CLEAR
Published April 28, 2006

RIVERVIEW - Bobby Ray Robbins accomplished so much, his daughter was amazed when she learned about his life.

He was a career military man, but also worked as stunt man in movies, including an Elvis Presley film. He sang on stage with his cousin, country legend Marty Robbins, and performed for the troops in one of Bob Hope's shows in Korea. He was a popular country music disc jockey in Las Vegas.

"My father could do everything, let me tell you," said his daughter, Diane Kersey. "He always had two or three jobs, even when he was in the military."

Even more impressive than his accomplishments, she said, was his motivation. He worked so hard to make his kids proud.

Mr. Robbins, who died April 4 of heart disease at age 69, was constantly moving because of his service in the military. Because of this, he barely knew his children when they were growing up.

He and his wife separated when their three children were still young. He stayed in touch but wasn't able to see the kids often.

The family reconnected in the 1990s. In 2000, while he was in the early stages of Alzheimer's disease, he left Las Vegas to live with his daughter in Riverview. It wasn't until then that they realized they had been in his heart constantly through the years.

"He told me he wanted to do something great for his kids, so we'd be proud of him," Kersey said. "He was hoping we'd find out about everything he did and know what a great guy he was."

Mr. Robbins was born in High Point, N.C. When he was 17, he wanted to join the military to fight in World War II. He was stationed at MacDill Air Force Base when he met a woman from Riverview. They married and had two sons and a daughter.

The marriage didn't last, and the family stayed behind when Mr. Robbins was transferred to Arizona.

Besides serving in the Air Force, he worked at a local movie ranch called Apacheland. Somehow, he ended up working as a stunt man in several films, including Charro!, a 1969 Elvis Presley movie.

"He had the jacket Elvis wore in that movie," Kersey said. "I was so jealous. He gave it to my sister. She didn't even want it, but she was the oldest, so she got it."

Because his children weren't living with him at the time, they're not sure about many of the details of his life. He came to live with Kersey in 2000, when his health was failing. He showed them photographs of him performing in the Bob Hope USO show and told them stories about his days as a DJ in Vegas and of the time he sang with Marty Robbins.

"The Alzheimer's was setting in, and he was living in the 1960s," Kersey said. "He remembered all that very clearly."

Mr. Robbins knew his memory was fading and constantly wrote things down, including details of his earlier life. But in the middle of the night a few years ago, he packed most of his belongings into his son-in-law's car and drove away. There was no water in the car and the engine overheated and caught fire.

Kersey and her husband were awakened when a sheriff's deputy brought Mr. Robbins back. He had driven 20 miles. He was unhurt, but the car and all his belongings, including records of his life, were burned.

"From that day on, he went downhill fast," Kersey said.

"We don't know a lot of what he did because all his notes and his records were in that car."

Mr. Robbins is survived by his son Ronald J. Robinette, daughters Diane Kersey and Sheree Robinette, brother Thomas L. Robbins, sisters Madeline Gann and Ann Lee Gross, six grandchildren and four great-grandchildren.

[Last modified April 27, 2006, 14:10:48]