Born in Seattle, he attended Phillips Exeter Academy. At Princeton he majored in politics, participated in crew, and joined Charter Club. Robbie held many campus jobs to pay for his education. He was forced to leave at the end of his third year when an alumnus reported to the University that his father had purchased a new Cadillac. His scholarship was withdrawn, and he withdrew. That year he was accepted to the Washington University School of Law, where he became the editor of the law review. He worked all during his time there to pay his tuition.

Robbie was invited to join Judge F.G. Hamley in the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals and became a clerk in San Francisco. He became a partner in the San Francisco law firm of Pillsbury, Madison & Sutro, where he worked for 50 years. He specialized in antitrust law, appellate work and legal ethics. After retiring from his law practice, he volunteered for seven years at Kalispell Regional Medical Center.

He is survived by Nancy, his wife of 62 years; daughters Britt, Jennifer, and Catherine; seven grandchildren; and brother David. The class extends condolences to them in their loss.