John Membery Roblin Sr.

John Membery “Jack” Roblin, 89, of Syracuse, NY, on January 2, 2021, from heart failure. Jack was born in Syracuse on April 21, 1931 and was a resident of Syracuse for most of his life. He lived briefly in Seattle, WA shortly after he and his wife of more than 57 years, Mary Roblin, were first married, and for the past year was living with his son John in Woodmere, NY. He loved living in Syracuse and had a wonderfully full life with great neighbors, family, and friends. He was the son of prominent Syracuse dentist Harold Membery Roblin of Napanee, Ontario, Canada, and Margaret Christine Becker Roblin of Pittsburgh, PA. Jack was a quiet, gentle man of great integrity who always looked for the best in everyone.

Jack was a graduate of Nottingham High School and Syracuse University. He served in the U.S. Navy Atlantic Fleet from 1951-1955 in the Caribbean and Mediterranean seas aboard the AM-111 USS Sage minesweeper. As a boy, he spent summers at his paternal grandmother’s farm in Sackets Harbor, NY where he learned to sail and began his life-long passion for woodworking. After his time in the Navy and at Syracuse University, he briefly worked for Boeing Aircraft in Seattle but found that a 9-5 desk job was not for him. Jack and Mary moved back to Syracuse, where he began his career in commercial real estate, mostly with Longley Jones. For a short time, he was a partner in the real estate firm of Luddington, McMahon, Woods & Roblin. He and his beloved Mary were regular patrons of Syracuse Stage and the Syracuse Symphony. He was an avid fisherman, woodworker, and tool collector who loved going to garage and estate sales throughout the Central New York area. He loved hosting the annual family Fourth of July celebration at their summer home in Chaumont, NY.

He is survived by his son John Roblin (Patricia), daughter Peggy Maroney, grandchildren Ian Maroney, Megan Maroney, and Nathan Roblin. He was preceded by his beloved wife, Mary, and sister Margaret “Peggy” Elam of Columbia, SC.

A memorial service will be scheduled for sometime this summer due to the ongoing pandemic. In lieu of flowers, a donation can be made in his name to Doctors Without Borders, doctorswithoutborders.org, or to a charity of your choice.