Leigh was an exceptionally dynamic and entrepreneurial person. Nothing, it seemed, could stand in his way when he wanted to experience or achieve something. He made intelligent and caring real estate investments. He was inspired to write the superb book, Landlording. A Handymanual for Scrupulous Landlords and Landladies Who Do It Themselves, which he updated through several editions. As owner and pilot, he flew his Cessna airplane. He participated in marathon bicycle races. Leigh and Ivy, his wife and partner of fifty years, traveled the world. For music and drama performances, they flew to New York and London to attend Wagner’s Ring of the Nibelung and Shakespeare’s plays. Over the many years, I would look forward to his Christmas letters with detailed descriptions, nay, portrayals of his and Ivy’s activities and observations. In one of them, Leigh referred to Ivy as his “guiding light” – true and poetic! Just a year after her passing away, he has joined her. In celebration and exultation of their joining the angels, I would offer Beethoven’s “Ode to Joy” as performed in Sabadell, Spain and available in YouTube as a flashmob coming together: www.Som Sabadell.com flashmob  5:41minutes

I look forward to attending the memorial service for Leigh Robinson.

Nevenka H. Morris

I knew Leigh as a writer extraordinaire and a sage friend with a generous heart and pragmatic spirit. He had a ‘gusto’ for life and adventure that I admired and hoped to someday emulate if ever I got the energy. I met both Leigh and Ivy through my parents, Don and Betty Hardison. They “double dated” with Leigh and Ivy for many years going to the Marin Theater as season ticket subscribers and shared good times supporting the arts through the Richmond Art Center. Over the years, Leigh hired me for graphic design work on small but memorable projects made fun by his quick wit, good humor and a get-it-done practicality. They ranged from cartoons for his ‘Landlording’ books, a logo design for Avid Flyer (back when he flew one!) and a tee shirt for his fictional love story Clear of Clouds. We shared an enthusiasm for the Macintosh computer in its early days at a time when we were testing its limits and learning the etiquette of a new age in technology. Leigh’s humor always came out in subtle ways . . . like never returning an email without a new subject title. I am grateful for his caring generosity to those around him. Just a month before he passed away, Leigh attended an event that was honoring my graphic design work. He knew the significance of the recognition to me, and his presence was a special gift.

Thank you Leigh. Now you and Ivy both have your wings! And you are together in a better world.

With heartfelt condolences to Leigh's family,

Jan Brown

Thank you for posting this memorial page to Leigh Robinson. I was very saddened to learn of his passing. My deepest condolences to Leigh and Ivy’s surviving loved ones. Although I can’t attend his Celebration of Life, I’d like to share a few memories and thoughts.

I was a student at Richmond High School when Leigh was a teacher there in the early 1970’s. Although he was not one of my teachers, I later met him in 1975 through Oliver McClory who had been my English teacher at Richmond (hello, Mr. McClory!). Leigh was looking for someone to help him type up the first edition of his book LANDLORDING, A HANDYMANUAL FOR SCRUPULOUS LANDLORDS AND LANDLADIES WHO DO IT THEMSELVES. The LANDLORDING book would go on to become a popular and valuable resource among D-I-Y landlords, undergoing multiple reprints and revisions, and that first edition was a real labor of love for Leigh. He spent many hours toiling over the writing and overseeing the artwork, and I spent many hours in the print shop pecking away on a typesetting-type of device that was a precursor to the personal computer. I think the first printing consisted of only about 300 books, which he hawked at a trade show or something similar, and each book was ‘bound’ with three brass fasteners (remember those?). After the book’s next revision, which was professionally printed and perfect-bound, Leigh would laugh sheepishly about that first ‘homemade’ edition!

Interestingly, the LANDLORDING book was something in common that I shared with the man who was to later become my husband, Art. At the time we met, Art was an Oakland policeman and part-time landlord – and owner of Leigh’s LANDLORDING book! He praised the book for its practical knowledge and useful forms and was astonished to see my name in the credits! We laughed about that on our first date, over 37 years ago. We still have two editions of Leigh’s book, one of them with three brass fasteners.

Leigh’s annual Christmas letter was always a special gift, and it never seemed like a proper Christmas until it arrived in the mail. Each letter was like a little anthology, full of humor and wit, stories of life and death, travels and adventures, advice and fun tips. Christmas won’t be the same this year.

I miss you, Leigh and Ivy. May you both rest in peace, in the embrace of our Lord, Jesus.

Connie Nakano Wright

I am so sorry to hear of Leigh's passing. I was a friend and co-worker of Ivy's when we lived in New York. We re-connected in San Francisco when she was with Pan Am and I was with CPAir and I met Leigh there and It was plain to see they were a devoted couple. When I left San Francisco we kept in contact and I loved receiving the very thoughtful (and lengthy) Christmas letters. I would get a glass of wine, snuggle into my lounger and prepare to read the wonderful escapades of these two world travelers. He kept so active over the years and it doesn't seem possible that someone that could bicycle as far as he did would ever run out of steam. I know he will be missed by his many friends and relatives. There are so many cures for cancer now and the best tribute I can think of to Leigh is to pass on some of the information to others who may want help in arresting or preventing this disease.
Go to www.criticalhealthnews.com and view the video on "Someone needs to go to jail" by Dr. Joel Wallach (He gave this talk at the U.N.)
Also, www.thetruthaboutcancer.com and listen to all the interviews with doctors to see the many cures. If this can help just one person in his memory it would be worth it.
Thank you for sending me the notice of his passing. He and Ivy are together now and they both are missed.
In Sympathy,
Janice Scott Rassam