Alan G. Robinson, vice president of BWI Taxi Management, died of a breathing disorder March 16 at Baltimore-Washington Medical Center. He was 82 and lived in Northwest Baltimore.
Born in Baltimore and raised in the McCulloh Homes, he was the son of John Robinson, a laundry worker, and Pearl Robinson, a homemaker. His brother, Bishop L. Robinson, who died last year, was Baltimore's police commissioner and secretary of the Maryland Department of Public Safety and Correctional Services.
Mr. Robinson, who was known as "Toast," attended Frederick Douglass High School and served in the Army during the Korean War.
After driving buses for the old Baltimore Transit Co., Mr. Robinson became an owner of the Alhambra on Pennsylvania Avenue and the Blue Gardenia, a West Baltimore nightspot. He also owned a record shop in the Liberty-Garrison shopping district.
More than 30 years ago Mr. Robinson joined BWI Taxi management at Baltimore-Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport, where he worked until his death.
"He hired many of the drivers and he talked to thousands of our customers," said Saeid Esfarjani, the chief executive officer of BWI Taxi Management. "He handled our customer relations, and whatever he did, it was successful. He was a beloved person."
Another co-worker, Renieka Arnold, said, "He was a snappy dresser and he loved big cars. He interacted with everyone, from the drivers here to a stranger on the street."
A memorial service will be held at 11:30 a.m. Friday at the Jehovah Witnesses Kingdom Hall, 901 W. Mulberry St.
Survivors include his wife of 12 years, Shirley Robinson; a son, Denard Robinson of Baltimore; a daughter, Tonya Robinson of Pikesville; three grandchildren; and two great-grandchildren. A son, Alan "Little Alan" Robinson and a daughter, Sandra "Pooh" Robinson, preceded their father in death. His marriage to Sandra Mary Robinson ended in divorce.