Alvin 'Duke' Robinson, 81

Alvin "Duke" Robinson, 81, passed away, Tuesday, Oct. 10, 2006 in Sandpoint, Idaho.

Viewing hours will be from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Friday at the Lakeview Funeral Home. Funeral services will be held at 2 p.m. on Friday, Oct. 13, 2006, at the Faith Evangelical Church on North Boyer Avenue in Sandpoint with John Gentlemen officiating. Mr. Robinson will be buried next to his wife Joyce in the Pack River Cemetery.

Duke was born Jan. 28, 1925 in Wellington, Colo., to Harry and Violet Robinson. Duke served in the United States Army in the South Pacific during World War II. After the war, he began working in area sawmills as a heavy equipment operator.

While working at the Zordel mill in Colburn, Idaho, he met the office secretary, Joyce Shields Cruickshank and then married her on July 22, 1960, in Sandpoint. The couple moved to Sagle, where they raised their family. He also worked at sawmills in Chilco and Post Falls, always operating heavy equipment. He retired in 1987 from Louisiana Pacific and traveled extensively throughout the United States.

Duke was a member of Faith Evangelical Free Church in Sandpoint. He enjoyed wood working, especially hand crafting children's toys and miniature trucks and cars. He and Joyce could be regularly seen selling their wares at the local farmers market. He was also an avid rock hound, and would spend each spring vacation with his family camping at some remote rock collecting site in the Pacific Northwest.

He is survived by a daughter, Carolyn (Graham) Shea of Gresham, Ore.; a son, Larry (Peggy) Robinson of Post Falls, Idaho; two stepsons, Glenn (Michelle) Cruickshank of Haymarket, Va., and Robert (Terri) Cruickshank of Portland, Ore.; two brothers, Lee ( Donna ) Robinson of Naples, Idaho, and Wayne Robinson of Naples; and a sister, Virginia (Del) Whetsler of Bakersfield, Calif.

He was preceded in death by his parents; brothers, Eugene and Walter; sisters Harriet and Lois; his wife, Joyce; and a stepson, John (Tara) Cruickshank of Wenatchee, Wash.

Memorial donations may be made to the Polycystic Kidney Disease Foundation, 9221 Ward Parkway, Suite 400, Kansas City, MO 64114-3367.

Lakeview Funeral Home in Sandpoint is handling the arrangements. Please visit Duke's memorial at www.lakeviewfuneral.com and sign his online guest book.