Robin LeRoy Archibald

Robin was born in Grand Rapids, Minnesota, on July 15, 1941, on the birthday of his maternal grandfather who was named Robin. His Dad’s name was LeRoy so as the firstborn son both names were used. His parents were LeRoy and Kathleen Hane Archibald.

He lived in the small community of La Prairie, which was outside of Grand Rapids. He was the oldest boy of five children. His sister, Kay, was one year older followed by his next younger brother, William, then Richard and lastly sister, Karen.  Five children were born in six years!  Robin was baptized at the Grand Rapids Presbyterian Church. He attended a one-room country school until his family moved to St. Cloud, Minnesota, when he was in junior high school. He played football there and continued playing football when the family moved to Duluth, Minnesota, and also was on the swim and track team. He attended the University of Minnesota -Duluth for a brief period. He worked for the United States Post Office in St. Paul. One of his tasks was the mail run on the mail train from St. Paul to Chicago. He had to make certain to catch the mail bags off their hooks as the train ran through the small towns. Also sorting the mail on the train was interesting as the train would sway from side to side!

He met Karen Johnson at a friend’s party when she was in her freshman year at Hamline University in St. Paul. They were married on August 11, 1962, at the United Protestant Church in Silver Bay, MN, and they began their married life in Duluth, MN. Robin worked for the Minnesota State Grain Inspection Department where he sampled grain on trucks and ships that came into Duluth from around the world. His desire was to attend Dunwoody Industrial Institute so they moved to the St. Paul and Minneapolis area. He loved to play slow pitch softball and continued playing for a number of years. After receiving his certificate in Drafting and Estimating he was hired by Weyerhaeuser Company.  They purchased their first home in Richfield, Minnesota, where their son Brett Robin was born. Three years later a second son, Adam Paul, was born. 

His career with Weyerhaeuser Company continued with Robin being transferred to various areas of the country. The family lived in Hoffman Estates, IL, Indianapolis, IN, Tacoma, WA, Albert Lea, MN, Carmel, IN, Scottsdale, AZ, and Oxford, MS. After 25 years Robin left Weyerhaeuser Company and began working for Southern Forest Products continuing in his career as a sales and marketing manager. They briefly moved to Germantown, TN and then to Phoenix, AZ where his last position was with the Arizona State School Facilities Board. He enjoyed his territories from the Navajo Reservation to the southern border towns near Mexico visiting various schools making certain their school buildings and grounds met the state standards to better serve the students.  

While living in Albert Lea, MN, Robin and Karen adopted their daughter, Nicole Catherine Ellen who was 5 years old. The family attended First Lutheran Church where he served on the Property and Finance Committee and then served as president of the congregation of 5,000 members. Later, in Scottsdale, he served on the La Casa de Cristo Lutheran Church Building Committee for the sanctuary on Thunderbird Road. Robin also participated in Men’s Ministry, served as usher and lay reader and as a Covenant Group leader with Karen for many years.

 Robin also served on the La Casa de Cristo Palomino House Building Project providing homes for low-income families.

Over the years Robin, enjoyed woodworking making items from pens to furniture. He also enjoyed remodeling their 100-year-old home on Fountain Lake in Albert Lea and redoing the entire back yard and dock. He also coached Brett and Adam’s YMCA ball teams. Later in life he and Karen traveled in their motorhome around the United States before retiring to Sun City, AZ.

He is preceded in death by his daughter, Nicole; his sister, Kay; and parents, LeRoy and Kathleen.

He is survived by his wife, Karen, son Brett (Dina) and his children Leslie’Anne (Jonathan) and Brett (Kelly) and great grandson, Keegan; and son Adam and his daughters Averie, Casey, and Sienna, and brothers, William and Richard, and sister Karen, and many cousins.  

Services will be held on Saturday, April 15, at 1:00 at La Casa de Cristo Lutheran Church, 6300 East Bell Road, Scottsdale, AZ 85254.  Interment will precede the service in the Memorial Garden for the family.  Memorial donations may be made to La Casa de Cristo Lutheran Church, Banner Sun Health Research for Alzheimer’s Disease, 10515 West Santa Fe Drive, Sun City, AZ 85351, or your favorite charity.                     

For those who would like to view the service online please visit the live stream link is: live.lacasadecristo.com

To rewatch the service at a later date please visit: lacasadecristo.com/archibald