William M. Robinson III ’63

Bill died Sept. 11, 2023, in Pittsburgh after a fall at home. To the end, he celebrated life with his wife, Sharon Semenza, their son, Will Robinson, and his legion of devoted friends.

Over the course of his life — ranging from Shadyside Academy to Andover to Princeton to Penn Law School to a long partnership at the Reed Smith law firm and to ongoing service as a fiduciary trustee — Bill never lived permanently more than a mile from his boyhood home in Pittsburgh.

At Princeton, Bill was coxswain on the lightweight crew and majored in history, writing his thesis on Fiorello La Guardia. He took his meals at Colonial Club and was well known for his ability to find success at the poker table and the racetrack, neither of which prevented him from graduating with honors. Senior year his self-described “gang” included MacKay, O’Day, Mikell, Carfagno, Wheeler, Veeder, Beardsley, Lippincott, Vanderpool, Gunther, Simmons, and Stevenson. Bill’s sister Ann is married to classmate Jay Stevenson.

Bill was a highly regarded lawyer specializing in wills and trusts. He was valued for his long-term perspectives and his absolute lack of a personal agenda.

Bill was in his 50s when he married Sharon. Will came along shortly, and it was not many years before Will was beating his father on the golf course — to Bill’s quiet amusement. The class extends its sympathy to Sharon and Will.