My first memory of Robbie (that remains intact) is of us chicken fighting in 6th and 7th grade. Jay Hassell on his back and Eddie Cutler on mine. No doubt this appeared silly to anyone else observing, that wasn't into it, BUT for us, it was like being Godzilla-like monsters bashing it out. In 6th grade we were so into it, we actually skipped a class to have a dual to the finish. Wow, that was fun.
When we finally grew up enough to get out of chicken fights, we started getting into trouble and Mr Flynn at PS Jones referred to the 3 main trouble makers as Mind (me), Muscle (Robbie) and Midget (Eddie).
Robbie was the first person to introduce me to pot. He took me behind the PS Jones gym and said "We're gonna smoke dope until you get high." It took me 3 joints. I still didn't feel high when we heard the lunch bell sound letting us know it was time to go back to class. He said, "I guess you just can't get high, come on lets go before we're late." I got up...and it hit me like a funny stick. I said "Wow! This is weird." and I started giggling which got him started and we both started giggling so much that we couldn't talk. We were trying to walk and kept bumping into each other and giggling more. We were both crying by now and I thought I was going to wet my pants. When we finally got into the hall everyone was already in class. The hall was as quiet as a tomb. I said. "Listen to how quiet it is." But I said it too loudly which made us start going into fits of laughter again. After awhile we were finally able to compose ourselves well enough to venture back into class. That's when I first learned the meaning of paranoia.
I went to my 2nd concert ever with Robbie. He was dating Janet Moore at the time and her best friend at that time was Sonja Roebuck. They had been planning to go to see Molly Hatchett/38 Special and Blackfoot at ECU. Sonja had just had a fallen out with whichever one of those Morlock boys she was dating (and eventually married) at that time, so Robbie asked me to come along. I was so excited! I thought Sonja was cute as a button and I was hoping I would get a kiss. That didn't happen. She was way too in love with Morlock to give me serious thought. But the concert was great and I was always thankful to Robbie (and Janet) for inviting me. I always thought the two of them together looked like a witch and a giant warlock from Tolkien's Middle Earth. They looked so cool and mysterious--but fun, together.
Robbie and I also had similar artistic tastes. When all the other guys wouldn't listen to anything other than KISS and Black Sabbath, we were grooving on Elton John's 'Captain Fantastic'. Later, after WHS, and I was in my first year of college at ACC (now Barton), I was back home for the weekend at a party and a mutual friend took me to a trailer across from the backside of the airport on Hamilton Beach road where I think Robbie was staying at the time. We immediately got into each other again. He asked me who I was now listening to and when I told him, "Alot of Lou Reed." he brightened and pulled out Lou Reed's "Rock and Roll Animal" album and we started grooving on it. That same night he told me he thought he had cancer. I thought he was just being paranoid, we all were at least a little during those crazy daze. After leaving him, I remember thinking, "Gee, I hope Robbie is going to be alright." I never saw him again.
A few years later I heard he was working at Crisp so I thought, OK, everything is cool with Robbie, maybe I'll run into him somewhere, sometime and we can get reconnected. It never happened.
So, now I'm left with nothing but good memories of him while still looking forward to seeing him again. I know wherever he is now, he is making everyone around him happy. He has always been such a gentle soul. A gentle giant. A wonderful warlock, and an accepting friend.
Thanks for the great memories Robbie, I'm really looking forward to seeing you a little further on.
Gary Ray Woolard
My first memory of Robbie (that remains intact) is of us chicken fighting in 6th and 7th grade. Jay Hassell on his back and Eddie Cutler on mine. No doubt this appeared silly to anyone else observing, that wasn't into it, BUT for us, it was like being Godzilla-like monsters bashing it out. In 6th grade we were so into it, we actually skipped a class to have a dual to the finish. Wow, that was fun.
When we finally grew up enough to get out of chicken fights, we started getting into trouble and Mr Flynn at PS Jones referred to the 3 main trouble makers as Mind (me), Muscle (Robbie) and Midget (Eddie).
Robbie was the first person to introduce me to pot. He took me behind the PS Jones gym and said "We're gonna smoke dope until you get high." It took me 3 joints. I still didn't feel high when we heard the lunch bell sound letting us know it was time to go back to class. He said, "I guess you just can't get high, come on lets go before we're late." I got up...and it hit me like a funny stick. I said "Wow! This is weird." and I started giggling which got him started and we both started giggling so much that we couldn't talk. We were trying to walk and kept bumping into each other and giggling more. We were both crying by now and I thought I was going to wet my pants. When we finally got into the hall everyone was already in class. The hall was as quiet as a tomb. I said. "Listen to how quiet it is." But I said it too loudly which made us start going into fits of laughter again. After awhile we were finally able to compose ourselves well enough to venture back into class. That's when I first learned the meaning of paranoia.
I went to my 2nd concert ever with Robbie. He was dating Janet Moore at the time and her best friend at that time was Sonja Roebuck. They had been planning to go to see Molly Hatchett/38 Special and Blackfoot at ECU. Sonja had just had a fallen out with whichever one of those Morlock boys she was dating (and eventually married) at that time, so Robbie asked me to come along. I was so excited! I thought Sonja was cute as a button and I was hoping I would get a kiss. That didn't happen. She was way too in love with Morlock to give me serious thought. But the concert was great and I was always thankful to Robbie (and Janet) for inviting me. I always thought the two of them together looked like a witch and a giant warlock from Tolkien's Middle Earth. They looked so cool and mysterious--but fun, together.
Robbie and I also had similar artistic tastes. When all the other guys wouldn't listen to anything other than KISS and Black Sabbath, we were grooving on Elton John's 'Captain Fantastic'. Later, after WHS, and I was in my first year of college at ACC (now Barton), I was back home for the weekend at a party and a mutual friend took me to a trailer across from the backside of the airport on Hamilton Beach road where I think Robbie was staying at the time. We immediately got into each other again. He asked me who I was now listening to and when I told him, "Alot of Lou Reed." he brightened and pulled out Lou Reed's "Rock and Roll Animal" album and we started grooving on it. That same night he told me he thought he had cancer. I thought he was just being paranoid, we all were at least a little during those crazy daze. After leaving him, I remember thinking, "Gee, I hope Robbie is going to be alright." I never saw him again.
A few years later I heard he was working at Crisp so I thought, OK, everything is cool with Robbie, maybe I'll run into him somewhere, sometime and we can get reconnected. It never happened.
So, now I'm left with nothing but good memories of him while still looking forward to seeing him again. I know wherever he is now, he is making everyone around him happy. He has always been such a gentle soul. A gentle giant. A wonderful warlock, and an accepting friend.
Thanks for the great memories Robbie, I'm really looking forward to seeing you a little further on.