Obituary: Keith Robinson

He spent all his professional life in local government and had been chief executive of Hampshire County Council for 12 years when he retired in 1985.

"He was always cheerful, knew his own mind,and loved the job," said his widow, Susan.

L. Keith Robinson - the L stood for Leonard but he was always known as Keith - was born in Manchester in 1920 and brought up in Blackburn. After schooling he went to Manchester University, but left after a year, on the outbreak of war, to join the RAF. He was a navigator for Coastal Command and flew in Sunderlands over the Atlantic.

After the war, he worked in local government in Bristol, Birkenhead, was town clerk in Stoke-on-Trent and on local government reorganisation, came to Hampshire as chief executive of the county council in November, 1973.

There were 77 applicants for the post.

A report of the council's policy and resources committee in 1984, referring to the chief executive's intention to retire, paid tribute to his work in "steering the authority through its formative years and in particular, bringing together successfully the differing backgrounds, policies and practices of the former authorities which joined to form the new county council in 1974.

"Not only has Mr Robinson been instrumental in guiding the county council through its early years, he has played a leading part on the national scene, being for many years chairman of the officers' advisory group of the Association of County Councils."

The chief executive, with Lord Porchester, was instrumental in securing ownership of the Sir Harold Hillier Gardens and Arboretum for Hampshire County Council and was on its board for many years.

Mr Robinson and his wife were keen theatregoers and he was, for many years, president of the Chesil theatre, Winchester, and on the boards of Salisbury Playhouse and the Nuffield Theatre.

Mr Robinson, who died at home in Barton Stacey, is survived by Susan, two daughters, two sons and 13 grandchildren.