Robert Robinson Robinson

I didn't graduate in Alice. My family moved to Southern California after ninth grade, but I grew up in Alice and it has always been my hometown. I went to private schools in first (Mrs. Sage), tenth, and 12th grades; Schallert and Dubose grades 2-9. Attending private school in tenth grade in California was real different. The custom in Alice was to gather in the mornings before school and insult each other while we waited for the doors to open. In California, they’d gather in the mornings and actually exchange pleasantries. Like they say: California, the land of fruits and nuts. When I moved back to Texas in 1971 the morning insults made me feel quite at home.

I've lived in Cherokee County, Texas (south of Tyler) for the past 32 years. I attended what is now UT Tyler where I majored in Political Science and minored in Journalism. After college, I went to work in real estate sales, then sales management, then insurance sales and management. I have 3 children ages 31, 8, and 2 as well as a granddaughter due to arrive in August. I am passionate about my relationships with God and my children. My 2-year-old son Garet (pictured) came as quite a surprise and he keeps my life interesting. About 15 years ago, I decided I had it with working and I've been semi-retired ever since. My two older brothers died at ages 60 and 58 and I don't have any intention of that happening to me.

It is very green where I live and heavily wooded with four distinct seasons. I try to keep as fit as possible by doing physical labor for exercise. I'm nuts about growing plants whether vegetables or flowers and in the winters I like to cut and split my own firewood. In a normal winter I burn 4 to 5 cords in my fireplace. I still enjoy watching pro football and major league baseball on television. My teams are the Cowboys, Astros, and Rangers even though none of them are very good right now.

I've been to Alice probably 5 times since 1969 with 2008 being the most recent. On the last trip, my brother and I really wanted to eat at Reyes' cafe for some truly good Mexican food, but we couldn't find it. My family moved to Alice from Live Oak County in 1955 because my Dad needed a telephone for his business. We bought a house and 36 acres at what is now the corner of Edith Drive and Industrial Blvd. Later, Dowell Chemical built a plant in the neighborhood and their trucks were coming and going at all hours. We also had railroad tracks about 300 yards from the house with trains coming through every night at midnight. Then, there was the honky-tonk two doors down on the other side. Life was good in Alice.