On April 15, which was 75 years to the day after Jackie Robinson broke the color barrier in baseball, hundreds gathered at New Hope Baptist Church to say goodbye to another quiet giant named Robinson. Tom Robinson, co-founder of Cleo Parker Robinson Dance, longtime high-school athletics administrator, college referee and math teacher at Regis High School, died April 4 at age 76.
Robinson was celebrated as a bridge between races, faiths and adversaries. A loving guardian of three generations of dancers, athletes and humans. His service drew appearances or messages from luminaries such as Denver Mayor Michael B. Hancock, Sen. Michael Bennet, Sen. John Hickenlooper, Gov. Jared Polis, former Mayor Wellington Webb and his wife, former State Rep. Wilma Webb; State Sen. Rhonda Fields; former NBA stars Alex English, Chauncey Billups, Chuck Williams and Bill Garnett; Grammy-winning vocalist Dianne Reeves; international vocalist Mary Louise Lee; Sculptor Ed Dwight, and longtime Regis University basketball coach Lonnie Porter.
April 15 was also Good Friday, and on this day, Robinson packed the church with Muslims, Catholics, Baptists, Protestants, Jews, atheists and more sitting side by side as vocalist Sheryl Renee turned the "Our Father" into a glorious expression of universal prayer.
After 3½ hours, the last word went, as it should, to Robinson’s wife, Cleo. “Let us plant the seeds of love and righteousness and excellence,” she said. Read our full tribute here