Dan Robison Obituary

Daniel John Robison, age 69, passed away on March 30, 2023, after a swift bout with pancreatic cancer—throughout which he continued to play golf as much as possible. The second of three children, he was born on November 14, 1953 in Waukegan, Illinois to Carl and Phyllis Robison. He spent his childhood mostly in the northern Chicago suburbs—apart from a brief stint in Oklahoma—and eventually he found his way to the University of Illinois to study architecture.

After a year teaching at a U of I program in San Francisco, he earned his master's degree and set about establishing himself as a working architect in the same place he grew up. He initially worked for local architect Dan Bleck before receiving accreditation from the American Institute of Architects (AIA) and establishing his own business: Daniel Robison Architects. If you live in the Chicagoland area, you're probably familiar with many of the buildings he designed: the Grayslake Village Hall and the nearby Millennium Court, the clubhouse at Bittersweet Golf Club, the Gurnee Police Station on O'Plaine Road, and more. He also supervised the renovation of the Lake County Courthouse. After retiring from his business, he began working for Robson Forensic, serving as an expert witness in cases related to architecture and construction. Throughout his life he was active in the community as part of the Gurnee Exchange Club and Plan Commission.

In 1985, he met his wife Nancy at a party on a boat in Waukegan Harbor. Soon after, he famously asked her to "stop chopping those onions" and proposed—they married a year later. His daughters Becky and Molly were born in 1988 and 1990, respectively. He later designed a home for his family in Gurnee, as well as the building that housed his offices and the offices of Nancy's business, Gurnee Counseling Center, where the latter business remains today. Dan was a dedicated father who simultaneously encouraged his children to work hard and supported them in whatever endeavors they pursued, from writing music to traveling the world.

Dan loved to golf in warm weather—he played regularly on Tuesdays and Thursdays, joining his friends for dinner afterwards at Kaiser's or Salutos in Gurnee, and he even traveled abroad to play in the U.K. and Ireland. When the weather turned cold, he loved to hunt pheasant with his beloved dog, Caddie. Later in life he and Nancy bought a place in Punta Gorda, Florida so Dan could more frequently incorporate fishing, another favorite hobby, into his life; his family wishes they both could have spent more time there.

Dan was preceded in death by his wife, Nancy, in 2020. He is survived by his daughters Becky and Molly and his sisters Patty and Beth, as well as their families. His daughters are planning a celebration of life for Dan in the summer. In lieu of flowers, they ask that donations be made to the Pancreatic Cancer Action Network.