11/12/2022
A Life Worth Living
Photojournalist Ian Robinson certainly created a life worth living.
He was shot at in Miami, attacked by an orang-utang in Borneo, suffered frostbite in Alaska, and was thrown from a collapsing bridge in Mongolia. In the end, it was only Motor Neurone Disease that could get the better of him - he passed away in his Saltash home at the end of November.
Paying tribute to Ian, Mary Crawford, editor of the Saltash and District Observer said: “I am deeply saddened to lose such a special friend. We made so many good memories in the few years Ian was on the Observer reporting team. He became recognised at Saltash festivals carrying his ladder to capture the best angles, always looking for another inspirational photo to send over to me, always with a great story attached. I will miss him dearly, on both personal and professional levels."
Born in Exmouth, he first pursued a career as a social worker running a probation hostel for some of the country’s most troubled and troublesome young offenders. But in his quest for a horizon that was always changing, Ian left the hostel to travel the whole of North America, gradually selling photos and stories to pay his way. And stories came aplenty. Like the one where he was awarded an honorary sheriff badge of New Orleans for his role in capturing a double killer who is now on death row.
Moving to Saltash in November 2016, his adventures became, perhaps, a little more tame, but still suffused with that compassion he’d shown in the probation hostel – the compassion to heal the world a little bit. Ian shared his travellers’ tales through charity talks at places like Ashtorre Rock, he organised & led the waterside clean ups each year on behalf of the Observer, and he was an exquisitely popular Hopper bus driver - everyone loved the days out with him, especially the Valentine outings when he presented all the ladies with a red rose.
Ian, who travelled through life guided by an inner compass, will be missed by so many, but particularly by his siblings Martin, Julie and Brian, who call him an absolute legend and hero.
Chelsea and her daughters Hettie & Georgia are bereft, too, at the loss of such an inspiration in their lives, but encourage anyone whose life was touched by Ian to bid farewell as he sets off on his final journey at Glynn Valley crematorium at 1:30 on 29th December.
RIP Ian
