Obituary of Emerson (Red) Joseph Robinson

Emerson Joseph (Red) Robinson, 91, of Hanna, Alberta passed away on December 12, 2024 after a long and fulfilling life.  He was born September 23, 1933 to parents Joe and Catharine and raised on the family farm west of Hanna. Emerson was the second of four children; brother to Sylvia, Wesley and Shirley.He was predeceased by his parents, his sister Sylvia and his brother Wes.

Emerson married Martha Annas in 1956.  During their 68 years of marriage they raised four daughters, Ginny (Jeff) Smith, Cathy (Ron) Kulak, Connie (John) Noyes and Tammy (Derek) Marks.  He was a proud Papa to grandchildren Arick, Mark, Adam, Courtenay (Mark), Shelby (Mike), Connor (Celie), Evan and Elisabeth and to great grandchildren Brinley, Ally, Emma and Reese.

Emerson grew up working on the family farm and continued to farm with his Dad throughout his adult life.  After following a tip from his childhood friend Andy in the fall of 1951, Red fulfilled his dream of joining the railroad where he worked until his retirement in 1990. Never one to sit idle, it wasn’t long before he embarked on a second career with Alberta Prairie Railway where he returned to his roots as a steam engineer and shared his passion of trains with others.  Because one part-time job wasn’t enough for this hard working man, he also worked as a guard for the Hanna RCMP and for Hanna Motor Products where he transported vehicles.  

A service will be held at Hanna First United Church on Thursday, December 19, 2024 at 1:00 p.m. with a lunch to follow.

In lieu of flowers, donations in Emerson’s memory can be made to the J.C.Charyk library/reading program “Read with Red” that supports his love of reading and continues his practice of supporting his community. Cheques can be made payable to: J.C.Charyk School Generated Funds, Box 1270, Hanna, AB, T0J 1P0, or etransfer: jccharykschool@plrd.ab.ca.

Hanna Funeral Services has been entrusted with the care and arrangements, 403-854-5956, www.hannafuneral.ca.