Richard L. Robertson

Richard L. Robertson, noted local historian and lecturer, 88, of 55 Cottage Row, died Friday, March 27, 2015.

Born May 25, 1926, in Bradford, he was a life-long Bradford resident.  He was the son of the late Paul Wellington and Bernadine Christina (Johnson) Robertson. He was a graduate of Bradford Area High School, Class of 1944.
He was a veteran of World War II, serving in the Army as a Technician Fourth Grade, 562ND Anti-Aircraft Automatic Weapons Battalion.  He was posted in Aachen and Salzburg and had been earlier attached to the British 3rd Army.  He was at Füssen, Germany, training for the invasion of Japan when the war ended.   He recently found out his service postings coincided with the locations and times of the secret recovery of stolen art detailed in the book and movie ‘Monuments Men’, which shocked him greatly.  He was awarded the Marksman badge, Army of Occupation Medal, World War II Victory Medal, and European African Middle Eastern Campaign Medal. He was honorably discharged July 31, 1946.

On August 28, 1948, at the Asbury Methodist Church in Bradford, he married Elsie Valetta Hayes, who survives him.

He worked for Bradford Motor Works, later Trico Industries, for 40 years, and was well known to local independent oil producers. He retired as District Sales Manager for Trico, and manager of the Trico pump shop, now Quinn’s.  

He was an avid outdoorsman, who loved primitive camping, archery, hunting, hiking, fishing, cross-country skiing, but particularly hunting with a longbow.  He was NFAA Pennsylvania State Champion Field Archer in 1959, F-bow.  He won numerous other National Field Archery Association awards, including the Art Young Award.   He was a long time member of the Bradford Pistol and Revolver Club and the Bradford Sportsman’s Club.  As a skilled fisherman and expert canoeist, he won a New York State Record Fish Award for catching a 28 pound Channel Catfish from the Allegheny River.  He was a lifetime member of the Tuna Valley Archers, the NRA, the American Legion, the Landmark Society, and the McKean County Historical Society on which board he served with his wife.  Drawing on his extensive local knowledge, he gave historical presentations at UPB, First Night, the Pavilion, and regularly in summer series at the McKean County Historical Society.  His 20 lecture topics included, the BB&K RR, McKean County Railroads, Bradford’s Beautiful Houses, Local Architecture, Main Street, Trolleys, Oil Fields, Bradford Bricks, the Genesee Valley Canal, and, particularly, the Kinzua Bridge.

Highly concerned about wildlife, habitat, and the environment he joined the Sierra Club in order to gain leverage over the many global and multinational corporations damaging his beloved places without regard to the local inhabitants.  He strongly supported environmental activism by members of his family.  He supported The American Chestnut Foundation and had found many local surviving chestnut trees and hoped to see the chestnut restored to the Eastern forest.  His earliest memory was of riding piggy back on his dad’s shoulders to pick chestnuts at Big Rocks.

Surviving in addition to his wife are two sons, Wade (Jane) Robertson of Bradford and Gary (Janet) Robertson of Gilford, New Hampshire: four grandchildren; 5 great-grandchildren and several nieces and nephews.
He was preceded in death by a sister, Jane Gordon, and a brother, Paul Robertson, Jr.

There will be no funeral. A celebration of his life will be held at a later date. Funeral arrangements are under the direction of the Hollenbeck-Cahill Funeral Homes Inc.

Memorial contributions may be made to the charity of one’s choice.

 

HOLLENBECK-CAHILL Funeral Home

33 South Avenue • Bradford, PA 16701

All Condolences -

My heart is broken. Dick was 1 of a kind. He had a big heart and I enjoyed all the stories he would share with me. I sure am gonna miss him stopping by. RIP Dick.
— Robin F

Elsie, Gary, and Wade - Dick was such a treasure to Bradford. His kind is rare we will not see men like him walking the earth again. Please accept the condolences of all of us here at the Bradford Landmark Society. We will miss him and his expertise. Many times we sent people to Dick, to ask the particulars of a historic question. He will be missed, sorrowed, and remembered.
— sally Costik

Condolences

  • My heart is broken. Dick was 1 of a kind. He had a big heart and I enjoyed all the stories he would share with me. I sure am gonna miss him stopping by. RIP Dick.

    — Robin F
  • Elsie, Gary, and Wade - Dick was such a treasure to Bradford. His kind is rare we will not see men like him walking the earth again. Please accept the condolences of all of us here at the Bradford Landmark Society. We will miss him and his expertise. Many times we sent people to Dick, to ask the particulars of a historic question. He will be missed, sorrowed, and remembered.

    — sally Costik