ROBINSON III, William Walter
William Walter Robinson, III "Walt", age 60, died at his home in Columbus, GA, on Thursday, February 1, 2024. He was born on March 18, 1963, in Houston, TX, during his family's brief residency there before returning to his father's hometown of Chattanooga, TN, where Walt spent the remainder of his childhood and youth. He was preceded in death by his parents, William Walter Robinson, Jr., and Patricia Louise Allen of Memphis, TN. He will be sorely missed by all those who survive him, especially his sister and closest friend, Sara Robinson Chambless; his brother-in-law Keith Chambless, both of Columbus, GA; and his nieces, Claire Chambless of Los Angeles, CA, and Grace Chambless of Atlanta, GA.
Walt was a 1981 graduate of the McCallie School in Chattanooga, where he distinguished himself as a placekicker in football under legendary coach Pete Potter, father of current coach and classmate Ralph Potter and a southpaw pitcher on the baseball team. Among his accolades were MVP and All-city in both sports. As a youth Walt earned Eagle Scout in Boy Scouts, sang in the famed Chattanooga Boy Choir, and was an active member in his church youth group. After McCallie Walt attended Vanderbilt University where he was a member of the Phi Kappa Psi fraternity. In 1985 he earned a BS in mathematics and went on to study finance at Duke University, where he received his MBA from the Fuqua School of Business in 1987. Walt started his career with a prestigious internship in the treasury department of General Motors in New York City, and went on to join Toronto Dominion Bank there in their bond trading division. Upon the birth of his first niece in 1989, he requested a transfer to Houston, TX, where his sister was living. He lived there until the mid-1990s, when he was recruited by the World Bank, to work in international corporate finance in Washington, DC. From there his career took him to Atlanta with Crédit Lyonnais and SunTrust Banks.
By the early 2000s, Walt's entrepreneurial spirit led him to form his own venture capital firm where he specialized in major telecommunications projects in Europe and Latin America from Miami, FL, ultimately allowing him to return to his hometown of Chattanooga in 2010. While there he renewed his relationship with McCallie School as a member of its athletic council and was instrumental in organizing financing for their state-of-the-arts athletic facility. He continued to support the boys on McCallie's football team at Coach Potter's invitation by offering locker room pep-talks before the annual Baylor v. McCallie and state playoff games as recently as last Fall when McCallie went on to win it 4th TSSAA state championship in 5 years.
Walt was a man of many interests and passions. He was a lifelong golfer, who played in the "Monday after the Master's" tournament with his longtime friend Charlie Rymer. He was an enthusiastic outdoorsman, especially enjoying work and leisure on the Chambless farm in Marion County, GA. Walt was an avid reader with a special interest in military and political history. He enjoyed many friendships within the Civil War history community of Chattanooga. He lived in an historically significant home on S. Crest Road next-door to his family home, which he often opened to organizations and individuals sharing his interests. He was a worldwide traveler and collector of art and antiquities and never failed to bring home special gifts for his two nieces, Claire and Grace, who were the loves of his life, along with his sister and brothers-in-law whom he considered blood brothers.
Walter loved to laugh and had a bawdy sense of humor, keen intellect, and adventuresome spirit. His bravado and vivacity often hid his truly gentle and tender character, which he was quick to share with those he loved. In fact, it was his lifelong bond and friendship with his sister and her husband that led him to move to Columbus in 2021, where he hoped to grow old with his loved ones and make many new friends. The last communication his sister had with him was a text expressing the depth of his faith which read: "As usual God continues to watch over me." And may you watch over all of us, Walt, until we meet again.
A memorial service celebrating the life of William Walter Robinson, III, will be held at Trinity Episcopal Church in Columbus, GA, on Saturday, February 10, 2024, at 2:00 PM.
The family requests that donations to the McCallie School Athletic Fund in Chattanooga, or the National Infantry Museum in Columbus be made, in lieu of flowers.
Funeral Home Information
Striffler-Hamby Mortuary
4071 Macon Road
Columbus, GA
31907
