Hugh Gettys Robinson

Born in 1928 to Hugh E. and Romay G. Robinson, Hugh Gettys Robinson passed away peacefully in his sleep on July 22, 2023. He is survived by grandson, Roman Robinson, sons Scott and Mark, and Scott’s wife Elizabeth. In 2014, Hugh was predeceased by his wife of 53 years, Lyn Duff.

Hugh was full of thought and caring as a husband, father, grandfather, and friend. He lived life quietly and well -- contributing, sharing and mentoring to others in his communities.

Driven by a life-long passion to understand how the world around him worked, he made significant contributions in the world of atomic physics, specifically atomic clocks and magnetrons.

Hugh was resourceful -- from designing the family home he lived in for 29 years, to demonstrating a diverse abundance of knowledge and talent to match. He offered interesting topics of discussion at every meal, as well as studying and inventing instruments, including small-cell atomic clocks and data-collection electronics.

Hugh earned a BA from Emory University and a PhD from Duke University. He began his academic career at Yale University and eventually landed at Duke University where he rose to the rank of full professor, and finally Emeritus beginning in 1994.

Professionally, Hugh positioned himself on the forefront of Atomic Physics as evidenced through his work with Nobel Prize winners and a plethora of other dedicated, talented physicists. He enjoyed his work in prestigious scientific communities such as the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), Joint Institute of Laboratory Astrophysics (JILA), and serving as a fellow with the American Association for the Advancement of Science.

When he retired from research/teaching at Duke in 1994, he and wife Lyn headed to Colorado to conduct research at NIST. Hugh found this work both tremendously rewarding and fun as he concentrated on atomic clock research with many of the brightest minds in the field. In 2005, Hugh and a team of researchers were awarded the US Department of Commerce Silver Medal Award for Meritorious Federal Service for designing, constructing, and operating the world’s first ultra-miniature atomic clocks and magnetometers.

Research, invention, prototyping and scientific discovery require perseverance and dedication, yet Hugh made time for his family pulling them into building projects, greenhouse support, assisting in school projects, visiting relatives, and joining the family on summer journeys to national parks.

At home, Hugh spent countless hours as an amateur botanist. His specialty were bromeliads, which he grew in the family greenhouse. As a father, he would help his sons build all sorts of gizmos; some of these were physics demonstrations or toys he had made in his youth. For many years, the Robinson men ventured to the North Carolina coast for fishing, taking sunrise/sunset photos, and spending hours searching for petrified shark’s teeth. Hugh and his grandson would tirelessly pull in pin fish which made great bait for the ever-elusive lunkers.

He continued his love of projects, creating and building while living at Croasdaile Village Retirement Community. In fact, a running joke in the family was that he didn’t live in an apartment, he just had a bed in his shop. Many of his projects included three-dimensional mathematics, and exploring the intersection of math and nature. His love of nature followed him through to his final years as he would walk around the Croasdaile lake early every day, taking sunrise, sunset and wildlife photos. To his neighbors, he also provided sightings and inventory at frequented locations, such as the duckling count.

In lieu of flowers, the family suggests a memorial donation to a humanitarian support group of your choosing, such as Direct Relief, or nature conservation and education such as The Nature Conservancy, or to the UMRH Foundation benefiting Croasdaile Village.