Henry B. Robertson, Jr.
Died November 12, 2010
Entering Yale from the Hotchkiss School carrying the nickname Frog, Henry Robertson lagged slightly behind most of us academically. Feeling unprepared when facing comprehensives, he left Yale to return home to Delaware.
When the Draft Board came calling, Henry joined the Delaware National Guard. Following active duty in the Guard, he returned to Yale and graduated in 1967 after (as he put it) “a second senior year.” A member of Pierson College, he majored in English and continued his affiliation with the Class of 1965.
Henry worked for four years in the Treasurer’s Department of the DuPont Company in Wilmington, DE before enrolling at Emory Business School in Atlanta, where he earned his M.B.A. in 1973 and was a member of Beta Gamma Sigma, an academic honor society recognizing excellence in business. He stayed at Emory as an assistant dean for two years before setting out on a long career as a financial advisor and private investor.
“He loved his cars,” says his wife, Susan. “At one time he had 15, including two Morgans and a rash of Porsches.
“Years ago, we were invited to the introduction of the Porsche Boxster in Arizona,” Susan continues. “We decided to drive there in our Arctic Blue Porsche Turbo. At one point during our trip, I looked over at the speedometer and Henry had it up to 150 miles an hour! If it had wings, we would have been airborne. I told him to slow down immediately, which earned me the nickname “the governor.”’
Henry suffered a stroke in 2003, which paralyzed his left side and left him unable to drive a stick-shift car. Susan says that he was frustrated that he couldn’t move well. After his stroke, one of his loves was attending Philadelphia Phillies baseball games as a season ticket holder. “He really enjoyed being outside,” says Susan.
After a brief illness, Henry died on November 12, 2010. He is survived by his wife, Susan, their sons, Henry and Clark, daughter Margaretta and six grandchildren.
Benjamin Rowland remembers:
Beneath an exotic surface, Henry was a good roommate and a loyal friend.