The family of Robert Lee “Bo” Robinette announces his sudden passing on Veteran’s Day, Sunday, November 11, at the age of 83 while on vacation in Vero Beach, Fla. Bo was a Veteran of the Army in which he served during his 20s. He will be remembered for his love of children, nature, animals, a good joke, a good meal, a good cigar, and good company. He enjoyed tending to his yard, garden, and pool at his home in Lexington, Ky., and he enjoyed fixing things. He also enjoyed spending weekends in the West Virginia Mountains on the Valley Fork of the Elk River in Randolph County. He was a Kentucky Colonel and a member of the Knights Templar No. 9 as well as a 50-year Master Mason of the Grand Lodge of West Virginia, A.F. & A.M., Barboursville, W.Va., Minerva Lodge No. 13, in the Scottish Rite of Free Masonry. He attended Southern Hills Methodist Church in Lexington, Ky.
Bo was born February 5, 1935, in McConnell, Logan County, W.Va. A graduate of the Logan High School Class of 1953, Bo always enjoyed returning to Logan for class reunions. He began his career with the C&O Railroad at age 18. Bo often told the inspiring story of how he started out sweeping floors in Logan and worked his way up through every job on the Railroad to become the Superintendent of Operations at the Huntington, W.Va., Depot responsible for a CSX Transportation territory that included parts of three states.
Bo relocated with his family several times as he ascended through the ranks at CSX. He lived in Barboursville, W.Va. (1959-1976), Sylvester, W.Va. (1976-1980), Beaver, W.Va. (1980-1984), Pikeville, Ky. (1984-1986), and then Barboursville, W.Va., again from 1986 to 1995 when he retired from CSX. He also traveled frequently during his career throughout Southern West Virginia and Eastern Kentucky as well as to Newport News, Va., and Jacksonville, Fla., where he helped set up CSX’s first high-tech Train Dispatch Central Command Center. He was widely respected for his wealth of knowledge about the Railroad.
Bo attended Marshall University and his passion for learning persisted throughout his life. He was a perpetual student of history, and he had an astute memory for details. Bo also loved to teach. He came out of retirement to teach classes in a Marshall University-CSX training program for aspiring railroad conductors. He thoroughly enjoyed working with his students and putting his years of experience and railroad expertise to work helping the next generation of railroaders, particularly his extensive knowledge of safety rules and procedures.
Bo was preceded in death by his parents Ben and Emma (Lafferty) Robinette and his Aunt Thelma (Lafferty) Ball. He is survived by his wife Norma (Hale) Robinette, his son Mike Robinette, and his granddaughter Kailey Robinette. He is also survived by his daughter Jennifer Robinette, his first wife Jean Lee (Vankovich) Robinette, his sister Cora (Robinette) Stapleton, his niece Teresa Adkins, nephew Ryan Vankovich, nephew Jeff Monroe, niece Mitzi (Ferrell) Brammer, niece Jodi Ferrell, niece Amy Monroe, and nephew Tim Monroe as well as his five step-children by marriage Tom Biederman, Beth Ann (Biederman) Rardin, Benji Biederman, Max Hodge, and David Hodge, and their eleven children Haley Rardin, Jane Rardin, Jack Rardin, Mason Biederman, Bella Hodge, Lilly Hodge, Mary Mabel Hodge, Estella Hodge, Ben Hodge, Bess Hodge, and Molly Hodge.
Friends and family will celebrate Bo’s life beginning with visitation Tuesday, November 20, 6:00 to 8:00 p.m. at Wallace Funeral Home, 1159 Central Ave., Barboursville, W.Va. A funeral service will be held Wednesday, November 21, at 11:00 a.m. at Wallace Funeral Home, Barboursville. A ceremony will take place at 2:00 p.m. at Highland Memory Gardens, 42 Highland Memory Lane, on Old Logan Road just off Corridor G in Chapmanville, W.Va. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made in Bo’s memory to Shriner’s Hospital for Children by visiting https://www.shrinershospitalsforchildren.org/shc/donate. Online condolences may be expressed to the family at www.timeformemory.com/wallace.
