Big-Hearted Community Leader

Ronelle Grier

Contributing Writer

ack Robinson was a successful
entrepreneur, a generous phi-
lanthropist, staunch commu-
nity supporter and devoted husband,
father and grandfather. He died Sept.
15, 2015, at age 85, just hours after
attending Rosh Hashanah services with
his family.
Jack, who lived in Bloomfield Hills
with his wife, renowned artist Aviva
Robinson, was the founder, past chair-
man and former chief executive officer
of Perry Drug Stores Inc., now part of
Rite-Aid Corporation. Under his lead-
ership, Perry grew from one drug store
to a chain of pharmacies, auto parts
stores and health care businesses with
locations in eight states. By the time
the enterprise was acquired by Rite-Aid
in 1995, it was the largest drugstore
chain in Michigan.
While Jack's hard work and natural
Jack Robinson
business acumen made him a success
by any definition, his family was the
most important aspect of his life, a
Aviva's artistic talent and became a pas-
value he held dear since childhood.
Born in 1930, he grew up in a flat in
sionate and knowledgeable art connois-
Detroit with his grandparents, uncles and
seur and collector.
other relatives in close proximity. When
They generously supported the Detroit
Jack was 2, his father passed away, causing Institute of Arts (DIA), endowing the Jack
A. and Aviva Robinson Gallery in the DIAs
the family to grow even closer. To him,
family meant unconditional love, and he
contemporary art section and donating a
significant number of pieces from their
demonstrated this belief throughout his
life, eventually becoming patriarch of his
internationally renowned glass collection.
own extended family.
In 2011, they were honored with the DIAs
Jack's entrepreneurial spirit surfaced at
Lifetime Service Award. The couple also
a young age; he was independent and self-
donated a collection of Asian textiles to
motivated, starting his own paper route
the Minneapolis Institute of Art.
when he was 12. After graduating from
A Legacy Of Charity
Central High School, he attended Detroit
Institute of Technology and received
Jack remembered the tzedakah box in his
a bachelor's degree in pharmacy from
home on Sturtevant Street, and he car-
Wayne State University, earning money as
ried that lesson of giving to others less
a photographer to pay for his studies.
fortunate throughout his life. His support
After serving two years in the Army,
of community organizations, Jewish and
he opened the first Perry store in 1957.
secular, was unstinting and far-reaching.
Mark Schlussel, attorney and for-
After the chain was sold to Rite-Aid 38
mer president of Jewish Federation of
years later, he started The JAR Group, a
Metropolitan Detroit, spoke at the funeral
Bloomfield Hills-based residential and
service about Jack's lifelong commitment
retail real estate development and man-
to helping young people and the elderly in
agement company, serving as chairman
the community. He related the time and
and CEO.
financial resources Jack generously gave
Jack met Aviva on a blind date, fortu-
to causes such as Tamarack Camps and
itously "standing in" for a sick fraternity
Jewish Federation Apartments (now part
brother, and the couple were married in
of Jewish Senior Life).
1952. With Aviva's encouragement, Jack
"He understood that how we educate
became more adventurous and learned
and treat our young and our elderly is how
to enjoy traveling to places near and far.
we will be judged:' said Schlussel, who
Together they raised three daughters:
Shelby, Beth and Abigail. He was proud of worked with Jack in various capacities for

about 30 years. "Jack was a mentsh;
everything he did in his life he did
with warmth and compassion and
consideration:'
Rabbi Joseph Krakoff, who offici-
ated the funeral along with Rabbi
Norman Roman of Temple Kol
Ami and Assistant Cantor Leonard
Gutman of Congregation Shaarey
Zedek, talked about the devotion
Jack had for his daughters. He was
a patient and loving father who
enjoyed taking his family on trips to
Northern Michigan, Aspen, Africa,
Costa Rica, Mexico, Israel and the
Galapagos.
When his daughters married, he
became a true father figure to his
sons-in-law, embracing them as if
they were his own. When the grand-
children came along, it was his great-
est pleasure to become "Grandpa
Jack," reading books, sharing trips to
New York and inspiring them with
his eternal optimism and positive
attitude.
He was curious about the world,
reading four newspapers a day,
always eager to learn and seek better
ways of doing things. He was constantly
thinking of others and was grateful to his
employees and his customers for their part
in making his businesses thrive.
"It was an honor to know him:' said
Krakoff. "He was perpetually young at
heart ... he had a zest for life ... a positive
upbeat attitude that was infectious ... and
an encyclopedic memory:'
His legacy was exemplified in a memory
book compiled for his 85th birthday, in
which family members, friends and busi-
ness associates described him as an inspi-
rational role model, a cherished friend and
an upstanding colleague.

Butzel Award Winner
Jack's generosity resulted in numer-
ous awards and accolades that
included the Fred M. Butzel Memorial
Award for Distinguished Community
Service from the Jewish Federation of
Metropolitan Detroit; the Eight over
Eighty "Tikkun Olam" (Repairing the
World) Award from Jewish Senior Life;
the Humanitarian Award from the
Variety Club and the March of Dimes;
the Research Institute Award from
the Weizmann Institute of Science;
Entrepreneur of the Year Award from the
Harvard Business School Club of Detroit;
the Eleanor Roosevelt Humanities
Award from the State of Israel; the Tree
of Life Award for Commitment to the

Obituaries

Community and the Pharmaceutical
Industry from the Jewish National
Fund; the Corporate Leadership and
Distinguished Alumni Awards from
Wayne State University; the Outstanding
Philanthropist Award from the National
Society of Fund Raising Executives and
the Community Service Award from the
American Arabic and Jewish Friends.
Jack understood that giving his time
was as important as any financial contri-
bution, and he demonstrated this by serv-
ing on the boards of many national and
local organizations, Jewish and secular.
Among these were the Jewish
Federation of Metropolitan Detroit, the
Community Foundation of Southeast
Michigan, Jewish Federation Apartments,
Detroit Symphony Orchestra, Holocaust
Memorial Center, Weizmann Institute of
Science, Food Bank of Oakland County,
National Association of Chain Drug
Stores (of which he is also a past chair-
man), Harper Hospital, Economic Club
of Detroit, the Traffic Improvement
Association of Wayne County, Library
Foundation of Michigan and Detroit
Initiative Task Force.
He was a member of YPO (Young
Presidents Organization), past presi-
dent of the Greater Detroit Interfaith
Roundtable, the United Jewish Foundation
of Metropolitan Detroit and a past vice
president of the United Way Community
Services of Greater Detroit.
Jack Robinson was the beloved husband
of Aviva Robinson; cherished father of
Shelby (Mikel Balogh) Robinson, Dr. Beth
(Stephen) Robinson Swartz and Abigail
(Michael Kone) Robinson; the loving
Grandpa Jack of Jared Robinson Ross,
Darya Robinson Ross, Nathan Robinson
Swartz, Molly Robinson Swartz, Jonah
Robinson Kone and Ezra Robinson Kone;
the loving brother of Erwin (the late
Mildred) Robinson and Frances (the late
Bernard "Bob") Maggin; the dear brother-
in-law of Dr. Lorraine and Stanleigh
Goldberg.
Interment was at Clover Hill Park
Cemetery. Contributions may be made
to the Detroit Symphony Orchestra, 3711
Woodward Ave., Detroit, MI 48201-2444,
(313) 577-8416, www.detroitsymphony.
com; Jewish Senior Life of Metropolitan
Detroit, 6710 W. Maple Road, West
Bloomfield, MI 48322, (248) 661-1836,
www.jslmi.org; or Camp Tamarack,
the Jack and Aviva Robinson Pioneer
Village Fund, 6735 Telegraph, Suite
380, Bloomfield Hills, MI 48301, (248)
647-1100, www.tamarackcamps.com .
Arrangements by Ira Kaufman Chapel. ❑

JN

September 24 • 2015

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