Matt Robinson
Encyclopedia
Matthew Thomas "Matt" Robinson, Jr. (January 1, 1937 – August 5, 2002) was an American
actor
. Born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
on New Year's Day in 1937, he was the first actor to portray the character of Gordon Robinson on the long-running PBS
children's TV program Sesame Street
. When Sesame Street began in 1969, not only did Robinson play Gordon, but he also provided the voice of the puppet Roosevelt Franklin
and also was one of the show's producers. He left the show in 1972. In later years, when producers needed a last name for the Gordon character, then played by Roscoe Orman
, they used Matt's last name.
He wrote and produced the films Save the Children and Amazing Grace in the early 1970s, and authored scripts for Sanford and Son
and Eight Is Enough
. In 1983, he joined the staff of the NBC
's The Cosby Show
as a producer and staff writer. By that time, he was beginning to show symptoms of Parkinson's Disease
, but stayed with the show for seven seasons despite the difficulty. He ultimately succumbed to the disease on August 5, 2002 in Los Angeles, California
at the age of 65.
He is survived by his daughter, actress Holly Robinson Peete (21 Jump Street
, Hangin' with Mr. Cooper
, For Your Love
, The Talk
.) son Matt Robinson III, his wife, Dolores Robinson, and five grandchildren.
Robinson attended West Philadelphia High School in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
before going on to Pennsylvania State University
in University Park, Pennsylvania and graduating in 1958 with a degree from the College of the Liberal Arts and Sciences. While at Penn State, Robinson was elected president of the Penn State Omega Psi Phi
fraternity, one of the first African American fraternities founded at a prominently African American college or university--Howard University
in Washington, D.C.
's (PBS) Children’s Television Workshop (Sesame Street
) to produce and oversee filmed segments focusing on the diversity of different characters on the show. Robinson was eventually chosen to play the fictional character of “Gordon,” the first character with spoken lines in the show, as a result of difficulty in finding someone to fill the figure. This was against his original intentions with joining the show as he preferred a behind-the-scenes role, and was initially reluctant to take the part. Dolores Robinson commented on his backseat role on the set with, “He was by nature shy, and he knew that they were having a difficult time casting Gordon. And the people overseeing the taping up in the booth, peering at the monitors, kept saying, ‘Matt knows what to do. He should be the Gordon.’” He ultimately resigned from the role in 1971.
Nevertheless, Robinson continued to work with the Children’s Television Workshop, scripting here and there for Franklin until 1975, despite resigning from the character Gordon, and the Sesame Street group officially in 1971. Since his leave in 1971, two other actors, Hal Miller
(Season 4-Season 5) and Roscoe Orman
(Season 6-Present) have played the role of Gordon. Later, when Gordon's surname was needed, Robinson's was used in tribute.
Robinson wrote the first Sesame Street themed storybook in 1972 and was titled Gordon of Sesame Street’s Storybook. It was made up of four of his originally written children stories, "No More Milk", "Fisher-Man", "Fire-Man", and "A Lot of Hot Water". The cover has a Gordon Robinson caricature reading to different children.
Following his time with the Children’s Television Workshop, Robinson continued to produce and write for the entertainment sector in some of the most successful movies and shows.
. Robinson worked closely with Jim Henson
to accurately design the first black influenced Muppet. Some other Muppets designed between Henson and Robinson were Baby Ray Francis, Mobley Mosey, and a Hispanic Muppet—A.B. Cito. Roosevelt Franklin promoted ideals such as family, pride, respect, and geography while also showing a passion for rhyming and blues music. Both creating and performing Franklin’s voice for three seasons, Robinson played his puppet to one of the main characters on the show, in addition, Franklin continued to make appearances until 1975.
The puppet was pulled from the show because negative reception of the character from the African American community continued to grow. This was due to his frequent unruly behavior at the fictional elementary school, which was deemed a bad example for the audience. Additional arguments for his departure can be found in his over excessive black image or lack thereof. Dolores Robinson comments on this issue by stating that Roosevelt Franklin became a televised vehicle for her then husband’s anger with racism and pride in the African American race. While Roosevelt Franklin represented a figure to associate with in the African American community, it would be important to teach the highest standard of the English language—some saw this is being not black enough for children to relate too though.
Robinson recorded and released the first Sesame Street album--The Year of Roosevelt Franklin (Gordon’s Friend from Sesame Street) that was focused around a single character--Roosevelt Franklin
. Released in 1971, and then re-released in 1974 under the name My Name is Roosevelt Franklin, the album focused on many appropriate behaviors for children growing up. Aside from the basic topics such as numbers and letters, also included in the album were traffic safety, sharing, and getting along with others. All tracks were co-written with the help of Joe Raposo
. The album was again released on compact-disc in 2010 as a part of a set titled Old School: Volume 2, also including Grover Sings the Blues and The Count Counts.
, Save The Children (1973), a musical performance that was a spinoff of Black Exposition (conducted by People to Save Humanity). Robinson would continue his work as a producer and writer in the 1974 film Amazing Grace
, about a group of neighbors seeking to overthrow the a few shady, money hungry politicians in town.
Other post-Sesame Street work included writing episodes for Sanford and Son
, The Waltons
and Eight Is Enough
, and writing and producing for Captain Kangaroo
, a children’s television series on CBS
which aired from 1955 to 1984.
’s The Cosby Show
as a producer
and writer
. The family sitcom, which aired from 1984 for eight seasons until 1992, revolved around the life of the Huxtable family – an affluent African-American family in Brooklyn, New York. He co-produced and wrote several episodes during his seven year tenure with the Cosby Show, further proliferating his success on television. During this time, Robinson transitioned between writer, executive story consultant, executive story editor, and soundtrack writer for over 50 episodes of The Cosby Show. His work ultimately culminated in him becoming co-producer of the show. He acted in his only episode, "Cliff’s Nightmare", as the French Scientist.
started the HollyRod Foundation
.
In honor of and inspired by her father’s fight with Parkinson’s disease, the HollyRod Foundation
was created to reach out to all those affected by Parkinson’s disease or autism
and provide medical, physical, and emotional support. Located within the Center for Parkinson’s Research and Movement Disorders at the Keck School of Medicine at the University of Southern California
, the HollyRod Foundation
is able to provide low to no-cost treatment as well as various services to the under-served in greater Los Angeles
.
Robinson passed away in his sleep at his Los Angeles, California
home on Monday, August 5, 2002 at the age of 65. A memorial service was held on the morning of Friday 9, 2002 at the Writers Guild of America Theater in Beverly Hills, CA. He is survived by daughter and actress Holly Robinson Peete, son and production assistant Matthew Robinson III, spouse Dolores Robinson, and five grandchildren.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
actor
Actor
An actor is a person who acts in a dramatic production and who works in film, television, theatre, or radio in that capacity...
. Born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Philadelphia is the largest city in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and the county seat of Philadelphia County, with which it is coterminous. The city is located in the Northeastern United States along the Delaware and Schuylkill rivers. It is the fifth-most-populous city in the United States,...
on New Year's Day in 1937, he was the first actor to portray the character of Gordon Robinson on the long-running PBS
Public Broadcasting Service
The Public Broadcasting Service is an American non-profit public broadcasting television network with 354 member TV stations in the United States which hold collective ownership. Its headquarters is in Arlington, Virginia....
children's TV program Sesame Street
Sesame Street
Sesame Street has undergone significant changes in its history. According to writer Michael Davis, by the mid-1970s the show had become "an American institution". The cast and crew expanded during this time, including the hiring of women in the crew and additional minorities in the cast. The...
. When Sesame Street began in 1969, not only did Robinson play Gordon, but he also provided the voice of the puppet Roosevelt Franklin
Roosevelt Franklin
Roosevelt Franklin was a Muppet featured on the children's television series Sesame Street during the early 1970s. He is purple with shaggy black hair that stands on end. His name is word play on the name of US President Franklin Roosevelt...
and also was one of the show's producers. He left the show in 1972. In later years, when producers needed a last name for the Gordon character, then played by Roscoe Orman
Roscoe Orman
Roscoe Hunter Orman is an American actor who plays Gordon Robinson on the television program Sesame Street. Orman joined the show in 1973, taking over as the third actor to play Gordon on the show...
, they used Matt's last name.
He wrote and produced the films Save the Children and Amazing Grace in the early 1970s, and authored scripts for Sanford and Son
Sanford and Son
Sanford and Son is an American sitcom, based on the BBC's Steptoe and Son, that ran on the NBC television network from January 14, 1972, to March 25, 1977....
and Eight Is Enough
Eight Is Enough
Eight Is Enough is an American television comedy-drama series which ran on ABC from March 15, 1977 until August 29, 1981. The show was modeled after syndicated newspaper columnist Thomas Braden, a real-life parent with eight children, who wrote a book with the same name...
. In 1983, he joined the staff of the NBC
NBC
The National Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network and former radio network headquartered in the GE Building in New York City's Rockefeller Center with additional major offices near Los Angeles and in Chicago...
's The Cosby Show
The Cosby Show
The Cosby Show is an American television situation comedy starring Bill Cosby, which aired for eight seasons on NBC from September 20, 1984 until April 30, 1992...
as a producer and staff writer. By that time, he was beginning to show symptoms of Parkinson's Disease
Parkinson's disease
Parkinson's disease is a degenerative disorder of the central nervous system...
, but stayed with the show for seven seasons despite the difficulty. He ultimately succumbed to the disease on August 5, 2002 in Los Angeles, California
Los Angeles, California
Los Angeles , with a population at the 2010 United States Census of 3,792,621, is the most populous city in California, USA and the second most populous in the United States, after New York City. It has an area of , and is located in Southern California...
at the age of 65.
He is survived by his daughter, actress Holly Robinson Peete (21 Jump Street
21 Jump Street
21 Jump Street is an American police procedural crime drama television series that aired on the Fox Network from April 12, 1987, to April 27, 1991, with a total of 103 episodes. The series focused on a squad of youthful-looking undercover police officers investigating crimes in high schools,...
, Hangin' with Mr. Cooper
Hangin' with Mr. Cooper
Hangin' with Mr. Cooper is an American television sitcom that originally aired on ABC from 1992 to 1997, starring Mark Curry and Holly Robinson. The show took place in Curry's hometown of Oakland, California. Hangin' with Mr. Cooper was produced by Jeff Franklin Productions, in association with...
, For Your Love
For Your Love (TV series)
For Your Love is an American sitcom that premiered on March 17, 1998 on NBC. It was canceled after six episodes, but was picked up by The WB Network. It ran there for four years before its 2002 cancellation.-Synopsis:...
, The Talk
The Talk (U.S. TV series)
The Talk is a talk show created by actress Sara Gilbert, who also serves as the executive producer. The show premiered on October 18, 2010, and airs on CBS as a part of CBS Daytime...
.) son Matt Robinson III, his wife, Dolores Robinson, and five grandchildren.
Family, Early Life
Born Matthew Thomas Robinson Jr., to Matthew Robinson Sr. and Marie Robinson on January 1, 1937. His father worked as a postal worker and one of the first African American columnists for the Philadelphia Independent newspaper (Philadelphia Inquirer at the time), while his mother worked as an elementary school teacher.Robinson attended West Philadelphia High School in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Philadelphia is the largest city in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and the county seat of Philadelphia County, with which it is coterminous. The city is located in the Northeastern United States along the Delaware and Schuylkill rivers. It is the fifth-most-populous city in the United States,...
before going on to Pennsylvania State University
Pennsylvania State University
The Pennsylvania State University, commonly referred to as Penn State or PSU, is a public research university with campuses and facilities throughout the state of Pennsylvania, United States. Founded in 1855, the university has a threefold mission of teaching, research, and public service...
in University Park, Pennsylvania and graduating in 1958 with a degree from the College of the Liberal Arts and Sciences. While at Penn State, Robinson was elected president of the Penn State Omega Psi Phi
Omega Psi Phi
Omega Psi Phi is a fraternity and is the first African-American national fraternal organization to be founded at a historically black college. Omega Psi Phi was founded on November 17, 1911, at Howard University in Washington, D.C.. The founders were three Howard University juniors, Edgar Amos...
fraternity, one of the first African American fraternities founded at a prominently African American college or university--Howard University
Howard University
Howard University is a federally chartered, non-profit, private, coeducational, nonsectarian, historically black university located in Washington, D.C., United States...
in Washington, D.C.
Career
Robinson began his media career in 1963 where wrote and soon after became a producer and on-air talent during a job at local television station WCAU-TV in his home town of Philadelphia. Here, Robinson produced and hosted Opportunity in Philadelphia, a weekly televised employment service oriented towards African Americans. By televising job opportunities, Opportunity in Philadelphia broke the “apprehension” involved when the poor African American sought out the employment office. He established his talent at WCAU-TV, ultimately leading to future successes as a producer and actor. Before that, in 1962, Robinson wrote a slave revolt drama titled Rained All Night.Public Broadcasting Service: Children's Television Workshop (Sesame Street)
Robinson Jr.'s television breakthrough came in 1969 when he joined Public Broadcasting ServicePublic Broadcasting Service
The Public Broadcasting Service is an American non-profit public broadcasting television network with 354 member TV stations in the United States which hold collective ownership. Its headquarters is in Arlington, Virginia....
's (PBS) Children’s Television Workshop (Sesame Street
Sesame Street
Sesame Street has undergone significant changes in its history. According to writer Michael Davis, by the mid-1970s the show had become "an American institution". The cast and crew expanded during this time, including the hiring of women in the crew and additional minorities in the cast. The...
) to produce and oversee filmed segments focusing on the diversity of different characters on the show. Robinson was eventually chosen to play the fictional character of “Gordon,” the first character with spoken lines in the show, as a result of difficulty in finding someone to fill the figure. This was against his original intentions with joining the show as he preferred a behind-the-scenes role, and was initially reluctant to take the part. Dolores Robinson commented on his backseat role on the set with, “He was by nature shy, and he knew that they were having a difficult time casting Gordon. And the people overseeing the taping up in the booth, peering at the monitors, kept saying, ‘Matt knows what to do. He should be the Gordon.’” He ultimately resigned from the role in 1971.
Nevertheless, Robinson continued to work with the Children’s Television Workshop, scripting here and there for Franklin until 1975, despite resigning from the character Gordon, and the Sesame Street group officially in 1971. Since his leave in 1971, two other actors, Hal Miller
Hal Miller (actor)
Harold Miller, more widely known as Hal Miller, is an American stage and television actor.Miller received his Actors' Equity Association card in 1968 while working with Joseph Papp in Shakespeare's Henry V. From 1972 until 1974, Miller played the role of Gordon Robinson on Sesame Street. He made...
(Season 4-Season 5) and Roscoe Orman
Roscoe Orman
Roscoe Hunter Orman is an American actor who plays Gordon Robinson on the television program Sesame Street. Orman joined the show in 1973, taking over as the third actor to play Gordon on the show...
(Season 6-Present) have played the role of Gordon. Later, when Gordon's surname was needed, Robinson's was used in tribute.
Robinson wrote the first Sesame Street themed storybook in 1972 and was titled Gordon of Sesame Street’s Storybook. It was made up of four of his originally written children stories, "No More Milk", "Fisher-Man", "Fire-Man", and "A Lot of Hot Water". The cover has a Gordon Robinson caricature reading to different children.
Following his time with the Children’s Television Workshop, Robinson continued to produce and write for the entertainment sector in some of the most successful movies and shows.
Roosevelt Franklin
While with the Children’s Television Workshop, Robinson also played the voice of a reddish-magenta puppet named Roosevelt FranklinRoosevelt Franklin
Roosevelt Franklin was a Muppet featured on the children's television series Sesame Street during the early 1970s. He is purple with shaggy black hair that stands on end. His name is word play on the name of US President Franklin Roosevelt...
. Robinson worked closely with Jim Henson
Jim Henson
James Maury "Jim" Henson was an American puppeteer best known as the creator of The Muppets. As a puppeteer, Henson performed in various television programs, such as Sesame Street and The Muppet Show, films such as The Muppet Movie and The Great Muppet Caper, and created advanced puppets for...
to accurately design the first black influenced Muppet. Some other Muppets designed between Henson and Robinson were Baby Ray Francis, Mobley Mosey, and a Hispanic Muppet—A.B. Cito. Roosevelt Franklin promoted ideals such as family, pride, respect, and geography while also showing a passion for rhyming and blues music. Both creating and performing Franklin’s voice for three seasons, Robinson played his puppet to one of the main characters on the show, in addition, Franklin continued to make appearances until 1975.
The puppet was pulled from the show because negative reception of the character from the African American community continued to grow. This was due to his frequent unruly behavior at the fictional elementary school, which was deemed a bad example for the audience. Additional arguments for his departure can be found in his over excessive black image or lack thereof. Dolores Robinson comments on this issue by stating that Roosevelt Franklin became a televised vehicle for her then husband’s anger with racism and pride in the African American race. While Roosevelt Franklin represented a figure to associate with in the African American community, it would be important to teach the highest standard of the English language—some saw this is being not black enough for children to relate too though.
Robinson recorded and released the first Sesame Street album--The Year of Roosevelt Franklin (Gordon’s Friend from Sesame Street) that was focused around a single character--Roosevelt Franklin
Roosevelt Franklin
Roosevelt Franklin was a Muppet featured on the children's television series Sesame Street during the early 1970s. He is purple with shaggy black hair that stands on end. His name is word play on the name of US President Franklin Roosevelt...
. Released in 1971, and then re-released in 1974 under the name My Name is Roosevelt Franklin, the album focused on many appropriate behaviors for children growing up. Aside from the basic topics such as numbers and letters, also included in the album were traffic safety, sharing, and getting along with others. All tracks were co-written with the help of Joe Raposo
Joe Raposo
Joseph Guilherme Raposo, OIH was a Portuguese-American composer, songwriter, pianist, television writer and lyricist, best known for his work on the children's television series Sesame Street, for which he wrote the theme song, as well as classic songs such as "Bein' Green" and "C is for Cookie"...
. The album was again released on compact-disc in 2010 as a part of a set titled Old School: Volume 2, also including Grover Sings the Blues and The Count Counts.
Post-Sesame Street
After his work with the Children’s Television Workshop ended in 1971, Robinson wrote and produced, under the direction of Stan LathanStan Lathan
Stan Lathan is an American television director, film director, television producer and television director.-Career:Lathan’s career began with public television in Boston where he co-created and directed one of the first and longest running urban themed magazine shows, Say Brother...
, Save The Children (1973), a musical performance that was a spinoff of Black Exposition (conducted by People to Save Humanity). Robinson would continue his work as a producer and writer in the 1974 film Amazing Grace
Amazing Grace (1974 film)
Amazing Grace is a 1974 light comedy featuring black comedienne Moms Mabley as a widow who tries to influence the local mayoral election in Baltimore, Maryland, after she discovers that a black candidate is being used by the incumbent mayor to further his own reelection efforts...
, about a group of neighbors seeking to overthrow the a few shady, money hungry politicians in town.
Other post-Sesame Street work included writing episodes for Sanford and Son
Sanford and Son
Sanford and Son is an American sitcom, based on the BBC's Steptoe and Son, that ran on the NBC television network from January 14, 1972, to March 25, 1977....
, The Waltons
The Waltons
The Waltons is an American television series created by Earl Hamner, Jr., based on his book Spencer's Mountain, and a 1963 film of the same name. The show centered on a family growing up in a rural Virginia community during the Great Depression and World War II. The series pilot was a television...
and Eight Is Enough
Eight Is Enough
Eight Is Enough is an American television comedy-drama series which ran on ABC from March 15, 1977 until August 29, 1981. The show was modeled after syndicated newspaper columnist Thomas Braden, a real-life parent with eight children, who wrote a book with the same name...
, and writing and producing for Captain Kangaroo
Captain Kangaroo
Captain Kangaroo is a children's television series which aired weekday mornings on the American television network CBS for nearly 30 years, from October 3, 1955 until December 8, 1984, making it the longest-running children's television program of its day...
, a children’s television series on CBS
CBS
CBS Broadcasting Inc. is a major US commercial broadcasting television network, which started as a radio network. The name is derived from the initials of the network's former name, Columbia Broadcasting System. The network is sometimes referred to as the "Eye Network" in reference to the shape of...
which aired from 1955 to 1984.
The Cosby Show (1983-1990)
In 1983, Robinson jumped on board the crew of NBCNBC
The National Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network and former radio network headquartered in the GE Building in New York City's Rockefeller Center with additional major offices near Los Angeles and in Chicago...
’s The Cosby Show
The Cosby Show
The Cosby Show is an American television situation comedy starring Bill Cosby, which aired for eight seasons on NBC from September 20, 1984 until April 30, 1992...
as a producer
Television producer
The primary role of a television Producer is to allow all aspects of video production, ranging from show idea development and cast hiring to shoot supervision and fact-checking...
and writer
Writer
A writer is a person who produces literature, such as novels, short stories, plays, screenplays, poetry, or other literary art. Skilled writers are able to use language to portray ideas and images....
. The family sitcom, which aired from 1984 for eight seasons until 1992, revolved around the life of the Huxtable family – an affluent African-American family in Brooklyn, New York. He co-produced and wrote several episodes during his seven year tenure with the Cosby Show, further proliferating his success on television. During this time, Robinson transitioned between writer, executive story consultant, executive story editor, and soundtrack writer for over 50 episodes of The Cosby Show. His work ultimately culminated in him becoming co-producer of the show. He acted in his only episode, "Cliff’s Nightmare", as the French Scientist.
The Confessions of Stepin Fetchit (1993)
Written by Robinson and directed by Bill Lathan, The Confessions of Stepin Fetchit is a one-man play which focuses on Lincoln Perry, who was once popular because of the black comic character in 1930’s films but soon became under fire by civil rights advocates. This play was meant as a call to history as well as a discussion forum for reflection on Perry’s life story as one of America’s first African-American movie stars.Awards and Honors
- Daytime Emmy Awards - 1983, nominated (along with Bob BrushBob BrushBob Brush is an American screenwriter and television producer. He is most associated with The Wonder Years, for which he won an Emmy. He also worked on shows such as Ed and Early Edition....
, Harry Crossfield, Martin Donoff, and Howard Friedlander) for Outstanding Individual Achievement in Children’s Programming-Writing for Captain KangarooCaptain KangarooCaptain Kangaroo is a children's television series which aired weekday mornings on the American television network CBS for nearly 30 years, from October 3, 1955 until December 8, 1984, making it the longest-running children's television program of its day... - Distinguished Alumnus Award from Penn State University (1994)
- 42nd NAACP Image AwardsNAACP Image AwardAn NAACP Image Award is an accolade presented by the American National Association for the Advancement of Colored People to honor outstanding people of color in film, television, music, and literature....
Personal life
Robinson and wife Dolores gave birth to two children – a son, Matthew Robinson III, and a daughter, Holly Robinson (September 18, 1964). At first, Robinson was skeptical about his children going into film and television despite his daughter’s prominent role in television today, where she is well known throughout. Robinson Jr.’s marriage to Dolores ended in divorce.Death
Robinson was diagnosed with Parkinson’s Disease in 1982 at the age of 45, but continued to battle the disease for 20 years. In 1997, during her father’s struggle with disease, daughter Holly Robinson Peete and her husband, NFL quarterback Rodney PeeteRodney Peete
Rodney Peete is a former American football quarterback from the University of Southern California who played in the National Football League for 16 years. He retired in 2004 and is now in broadcasting.-Early life:...
started the HollyRod Foundation
HollyRod Foundation
HollyRod Foundation is a non-profit organization founded by actress Holly Robinson Peete and retired NFL quarterback Rodney Peete that provides "medical, physical, and emotional support" to individuals living with Parkinson's Disease as well as families of children with autism...
.
In honor of and inspired by her father’s fight with Parkinson’s disease, the HollyRod Foundation
HollyRod Foundation
HollyRod Foundation is a non-profit organization founded by actress Holly Robinson Peete and retired NFL quarterback Rodney Peete that provides "medical, physical, and emotional support" to individuals living with Parkinson's Disease as well as families of children with autism...
was created to reach out to all those affected by Parkinson’s disease or autism
Autism
Autism is a disorder of neural development characterized by impaired social interaction and communication, and by restricted and repetitive behavior. These signs all begin before a child is three years old. Autism affects information processing in the brain by altering how nerve cells and their...
and provide medical, physical, and emotional support. Located within the Center for Parkinson’s Research and Movement Disorders at the Keck School of Medicine at the University of Southern California
University of Southern California
The University of Southern California is a private, not-for-profit, nonsectarian, research university located in Los Angeles, California, United States. USC was founded in 1880, making it California's oldest private research university...
, the HollyRod Foundation
HollyRod Foundation
HollyRod Foundation is a non-profit organization founded by actress Holly Robinson Peete and retired NFL quarterback Rodney Peete that provides "medical, physical, and emotional support" to individuals living with Parkinson's Disease as well as families of children with autism...
is able to provide low to no-cost treatment as well as various services to the under-served in greater Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
.
Robinson passed away in his sleep at his Los Angeles, California
Los Angeles, California
Los Angeles , with a population at the 2010 United States Census of 3,792,621, is the most populous city in California, USA and the second most populous in the United States, after New York City. It has an area of , and is located in Southern California...
home on Monday, August 5, 2002 at the age of 65. A memorial service was held on the morning of Friday 9, 2002 at the Writers Guild of America Theater in Beverly Hills, CA. He is survived by daughter and actress Holly Robinson Peete, son and production assistant Matthew Robinson III, spouse Dolores Robinson, and five grandchildren.