WHITE ROCK - The life of Coun. Larry Robinson will be celebrated on Monday (March 24) with a memorial held at the White Rock Community Centre.
Robinson passed away Saturday following a lengthy battle with cancer. He had been diagnosed with melanoma years prior but it was only last summer that a tumour began to develop on the right side of his face. Despite the rapid growth of the mass, Robinson never shied from the public eye when it came to his duties as a councillor."I think the thing that impressed people the most was how brave he was," said White Rock Mayor Wayne Baldwin."The fact that he had that tumour in a very prominent place might've caused other people to say 'That's it, I'm done with public appearances,' but Larry seemed to be OK. He said, 'This is me and I'm going to carry on and do the best I can regardless,' so he never ever allowed that to sway him from public appearances or doing what he had to do."Robinson's last public appearance as a councillor was Feb. 18 at a Rail Task Force Safety meeting.At the rail meeting, Robinson expressed increased concern over dangerous goods coming through along the rail lines."Right up to the very end he was very much a member of council and a very important member of our council," said Baldwin, adding that Robinson would always be remembered for his passion and honesty at the council table."He was a really kind and thoughtful person and he wasn't afraid to speak his mind - he definitely had opinions on things and spoke out," said the mayor. "He was a really dedicated council person, he always was prepared, and did meticulous research."Coun. Helen Fathers said Robinson was somebody who never put on an act when it came to dealing with White Rock issues."The one thing you could always guarantee with Larry was that he was going to be upfront with you," she said."He was always honest in his viewpoints and his viewpoints were very diverse on lots of different issues."During his term, Robinson was vocal on a variety of issues facing the city, and in his last few months, took to the issues of longboarding and the movement of dangerous goods along the city's waterfront with particular passion.On longboarding, Robinson was an advocate on educating local riders rather than outlawing the activity entirely. For the transportation of dangerous goods through White Rock, Robinson was keen to see change made at the federal level that would allow municipalities to know in advance what dangerous materials might be coming through their area."He was always willing to battle for the things he believed in," said Fathers.Robinson was elected in 2011 and was serving his first term as councillor. He is the second member of council to pass away during this term. Mary-Wade Anderson passed away in June 2012.Robinson is survived by his wife and two sons. His celebration of life will take place at 1 p.m. Monday, March 24 at the White Rock Community Centre, located at 15154 Russell Ave.cpoon@thenownewspaper.com