James Robison

SIKESTON, Mo. -- James R. Robison, 69, of Sikeston died Tuesday, Dec. 23, 2008, at Missouri Delta Medical Center.

He was born May 17, 1939, to the late Jack and Sybil Pixley Robison on Goose Pond Hill in Bollinger County, Mo.

As a child, his family moved to Advance, Mo., where he attended elementary and high schools. He graduated from Southeast Missouri State University in 1961 and the University of Missouri Law School in 1964. After law school, Robison moved to Sikeston, where he spent the remainder of his life.

Jim has long been recognized for his work in the legal field. He distinguished himself as a trial lawyer, and he was a former attorney for the city of Sikeston. He was a speaker for the Continuing Legal Education Program of the Missouri Bar and authored a chapter on criminal law in the Missouri Bar CLE books. He was a former member of the Board of Governors with the Missouri Bar.

Jim helped to promote considerable growth and development in the Sikeston community through his service with the Sikeston Housing Authority, the Sheltered Workshop Board, the Sikeston Board of Economic Development and the Board of Municipal Utilities, the last of which he served as both board member and most recently as its attorney.

He had positively influenced the lives of countless young people in the Sikeston area as a baseball coach for the Little League, Junior and Senior Babe Ruth teams, as coach of the First United Methodist Senior High Basketball ream and as a key driving force in bringing the first high school rodeo competition to Sikeston. Jim was a member of the local Masonic Lodge, the Elks Club and the Eagles Lodge; he was an organizing member of the Scott County Sheriff's Posse and was a former board member of the Amateur Baseball Hall of Fame. In 1990 Jim received the honor of "Man of the Year" from the Sikeston Chamber of Commerce.

On June 30, 1962, he married Fran Burggrabe in St. Louis, and she survives of the home. Other survivors include two sons and daughters-in-law, Tom and Sandy Robison of Sikeston and Bill and Jean Robison of Wichita, Kan.; two daughters and sons-in-law, Colleen and Tom Huffman of Glenview, Ill., and Ann and Mark Yarnell of St. Louis; two sisters and brothers-in-law, Janet and Morris Killian of St. Louis and Linda and Jim Spence of Sikeston. He is also survived by 10 grandchildren, Boyd, Ellie and Harry Huffman, Tyler, Carter and Madeline Yarnell, Henry and Charlie Robison and Emmett and Brodie Robison.

Visitation will be from 5 to 8 p.m. Friday at the First United Methodist Church. Services will be held at 1 p.m. Saturday at the church, with the Rev. Ruth Edwards of Bell City, Mo., officiating. She will be assisted by Rev. Geoff Posegate, pastor of the First United Methodist Church.

Burial will follow in Morgan Memorial Park in Advance. Nunnelee Funeral Chapel is in charge of arrangements.

The family requests that donations may be made to YMCA of Southeast Missouri, 602 Tanner St., Sikeston, Mo. 63801 or to Missouri Delta Medical Center, 1008 N. Main St., Sikeston, Mo. 63801.