Charley Clovis Robbins, 75, passed away peacefully at his homeplace on Dec. 23, 2022. To say he lived a full life would be an understatement. He was born on Nov. 25, 1947, in Crossville and graduated from Cumberland County High School in 1966. Charley married Caroline Jean (Wagner) Robbins in 1967. In 1969, he joined the Army and served honorably and heroically in Vietnam where he served in Troop D 1/10 Cavalry 4th Infantry Division and Long Range Reconnaissance Patrol (LRRP).
After his service to our country, Charley returned home and enrolled at the University of Tennessee at Knoxville. He earned a degree in electrical engineering that he used to gain employment with the TVA where he spent a successful career.
In 1976, Charley and Caroline welcomed a son, Brad Christopher. In 1980, a daughter, Alison Kathleen. Charley and Caroline made sure that both children were provided for amply with education, creature comforts and unconditional love.
In middle age, Charley developed a passion for aviation. He earned his pilot’s license and
purchased a small plane that he flew frequently.
Charley will be remembered by friends and family as a smart, endearing and charitable man. He was a lifelong gardener, hunter and fisherman. He was always quick with a joke, could tell one hell of a good story, had a never-ending vocabulary of good and often old and forgotten words, a knack for seeing things from unnoticed perspectives, and by definition, was a hero to his country.
Charley’s presence and character will be sorely missed by friends and family alike. He is survived by his siblings, Joyce Pugh (Otis), Lynda Conley (Robert, W03 U.S. Army Retired), Margaret Bohannon, Greta Wilkinson (MSG U.S. Army Retired), Grace Jones and John Robbins; his children, Brad Robbins and Alison Maxey (Chris).
Charley was preceded in death by his father, Bethel Robbins, and his mother, Frances Robbins.
Services will be held at 10 a.m. Saturday, Dec. 31, at Hood Funeral Home followed by a graveside service at Pugh Cemetery in Crossville. A time for receiving friends and family will take place at Hood Funeral Home on Friday, Dec. 30, from 4-6 p.m.