DONALD ROBSON
Donald W. (Soup) Robson, age 97, of Shadyside, Ohio, passed away on Thursday, February 1, 2024, at Ruby Memorial Hospital in Morgantown, West Virginia, with his son, Mark, daughter, Dana, and granddaughter, Bethany, by his side.
Born on May 7, 1926, in Bellaire, Ohio, Don was the son of the late John and Pearl (Haddix) Robson and was a Protestant by faith.
Don’s life was marked by extraordinary service to his country. Enlisting in the U.S. Navy while still in high school, he departed for basic training the night he graduated from Bellaire High School in 1944. He served as a radioman aboard the LST 799. His wartime experiences included observing the flag raising on Mt. Suribachi Iwo Jima, participating in the first wave of the invasion of Okinawa, where he was wounded in combat on April 12, 1945 and was anchored in Tokyo harbor within sight of the USS Missouri when the instrument of surrender was signed on September 2, 1945. Don was awarded two Purple Hearts and was honorably discharged in 1946.
Active in the veteran community, Don dedicated much of his post-military life to the American Legion Post 52 in Bellaire, Ohio, where he held various offices and attended Legion conventions across the United States. He was a member Disabled American Veterans for over 50 years and was a proud member of the US LST Association.
He worked for Wheeling Steel from 1946 to 1949 followed by Ohio Power AEP until his retirement in 1987.
An avid NASCAR fan, Don looked forward to attending races annually, particularly supporting #7 Dale Earnhardt.
Don was preceded in death by his sister, Betty (Robson) Anderson; brother-in-law, Walter (Andy) Anderson; his first wife of 39 years, June (Littleton) Robson, in 1986, and his second wife of 32 years, Velma (Knapp) Robson, in 2019.
He is survived by his daughter, Dana (Curtis) Workman of Dobson, North Carolina; son, Mark Robson of Houston, Texas; grandchildren Matt Workman of Clover, South Carolina, and Bethany (Workman) Wilkinson (fiance Scott Kohn) of Hilton Head Island, South Carolina. Great-grandchildren Collin (Ashley) Workman of Pasadena, Texas, John Workman USAF, New Mexico, Tate Wilkinson, and Hayes Wilkinson of Hilton Head Island, South Carolina, and great-great-grand- daughter Lyla Grace Workman of Pasadena, Texas. Also surviving are niece Kelly Creason and nephew Sean Anderson of Arizona.
Family and friends will be received at Bauknecht Altmeyer in Shadyside, Ohio, 3900 Central Avenue on Tuesday, February 6, from 2:00-4:00 pm and 6:00-8:00 pm. Additional visitation will be on Wednesday, February 7, from 11:00 am until the time of service at 1:00 pm, with Pastor Seth Filburn officiating. Immediate burial will follow at Holly Memorial Gardens, where full military honors will be conducted by the Belmont County Veterans Association.