ROY ROBINSON F.I.Biol Sadly, Roy Robinson died earlier this year (page originally posted in 1996). I had the great pleasure of knowing and working with Roy on various projects over the last 10 years. Many people may not know his name, but a search of databases on the Internet will reveal a large number of scientific and genetic reports written by Roy and he has a world wide reputation for his work.
Roy was a very dear friend, not one for the limelight, Roy, despite being terribly shortsighted and struggling to see in his final few months, worked long days, every day on his many projects. He collaborated with a large number of breed clubs, collecting and analysing data on genetic/medical problems in their breed.
A fond memory I have of Roy is visiting him one day at his home in Ealing, West London to discuss one of our projects and be shown his breeding/study hamster and rat population - hundreds of them in special cages/buildings on his property. He has been studying the hampster for nearly 40 years, and had obtained a mutation in the breeding of white hamsters - white parents produced black hamsters. When last we met he was breeding and studying this unique black line of hamsters.
Roy worked with me and a colleague on our computer implementation of Sewell Wrights algorithm which calculates the amount of inbreeding in a pedigree.
I had also provided Roy with data as part of an ongoing poject into colour inheritence in the Afghan Hound, sadly this remains unfinished, but I remain ever grateful for Roy's efforts and time he was able to give to this project.
Roy was a very modest man, a self taught geneticist of considerable ability and repute, entirely dedicated for over 40 years to his work. I count myself lucky to have known him and to have been a friend, he will be sadly missed.
Steve Tillotson 1996