Michael Lynn Robinson, age 72, passed away from Stage 4 Pancreatic Cancer on January 5th, 2023. Loved ones surrounded him during his final stay at the Ann Arbor VA hospital, where the staff did everything in their power to make him comfortable.
Michael was born on February 1st, 1950, the eldest son of Gerald Max Robinson and Laura Bernice Chisolm. He was raised in Michigan along with his younger brothers, Roger Robinson and Steven Robinson.
Michael served in the U.S. Army during the Vietnam War, in the 5th Infantry Division. Years after his service, he visited Vietnam for vacation. While exploring the sites and taking many photos of his trip, he happened to stop by a coffee shop where he met Thu Thi Nguyen, who was working there at the time. They later married in 1993. Thu and her son, Vinh Le, joined Michael back in America, in 1995.
Michael became fluent in Vietnamese and took on hobbies such as homebrewing, playing guitars, and tinkering with amplifiers. He avidly watched war movies and read novels. His final project was fixing a Volkswagen Beetle. After the car sat in a garage for years, he purchased it and undertook a 2-year long project to get it road-ready. After several daunting tasks made doable by his penchant for cleverly solving problems, he was able to drive the car on the road a few times, months before his passing. His longest drive was going to and from a few cities away, both trips without any stops or breakdowns. He named the car "Rudy", after a character from "The Book Thief", one of his favorite movies and books.
Michael is survived by his wife of 30 years, Thu Thi Nguyen, his youngest brother and lifelong best friend, Steven Robinson, his stepson, Vinh Le, and his youngest son, Kim Huy Robinson.
Michael's funeral service was held at Liberty Road Chapel. The people he was close to in his life, he kept them close to his heart and looked out for them, even towards the end.