"Big John," 82, peacefully returned to his Heavenly Father on Thursday, May 14, 2015. John was born July 14, 1932, in Freedom, Idaho. Despite the fact that he was born three months premature, and weighed only three pounds at birth, he grew up to be a giant of a man, both in stature and in spirit. He was the son of John Melvin Robinson and Leone Augusta Erickson Robinson of Tin Cup, Idaho. The family lived in Tin Cup on the Robinson homestead where John developed a strong work ethic side-by-side with his nine siblings. His parents instilled in him a deep love for the gospel of Jesus Christ through their teachings and example. John excelled in sports at Star Valley High School and was awarded a scholarship to play football at Brigham Young University. His years at BYU gave him many opportunities beyond the football field. He was able to obtain a degree, wrestle on BYU's team, and marry and start a family with his sweetheart, JoAnn Lauritzen Robinson. Throughout their marriage, John and JoAnn resided in Provo, UT, Salt Lake City, UT, Star Valley, WY, and Soda Springs, ID, pursuing different teaching and coaching endeavors. It was in Soda Springs that they enjoyed the majority of their life together. It was here that they raised their three children, John David Robinson, Marion Scott Robinson, and Janet JoAnn Townsend. They finished their teaching careers in New Mexico and Arizona, after which they faithfully served in the Tuba City, AZ mission for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Grandpa had a deep love for the Gospel and served in various callings throughout his life. Big John's life revolved around sports. He loved to coach football and wrestling. Nothing brought him more joy than watching his children and grandchildren play and excel at their sporting endeavors. He enjoyed following Scott's teams and helping out where he could. He had a deep love for BYU football and would spend hours analyzing different plays. Grandpa spent a lot of time with his best pal, Tim Johnson, gardening and fishing. Following Joann's death in 2012, John was blessed with the companionship of Allene Winters Astle Heiner of Grover, WY. Allene brought music, light, and life to Grandpa's last couple of years on earth. John is survived by his wife, Allene, of Soda Springs; three children, David (LaNae) Robinson of Thatcher, ID; Scott (Shirley) Robinson of Evanston, WY; and Janet Townsend of Georgetown, TX. He is survived by six siblings: Bruce, Rose, Mary Lou, Merrill, Clint, and Augusta. He was also survived by nine grandchildren and 16 great-grandchildren. He was preceded in death by his first wife, JoAnn, his parents, and three siblings: VerLene, Renn, and Lynn. Funeral services will be held at the Hooper LDS church in Soda Springs on Wednesday, May 20, 2015, at 12 noon with a viewing prior to the service from 10:00 to 11:45 a.m. A Tuesday night viewing will be held from 6:00 to 8:00 p.m. at the Sims Funeral Home in Soda Springs. Internment will follow at the Freedom Cemetery. Big John will be missed by all of his family, friends, and his former students and players. Grandpa, we will miss your twinkling eyes and positive, uplifting spirit in our lives. We know you'll keep coaching and cheering us from heaven's sidelines. Until we meet again, Coach. Listen to service