Jeffrey Robinowich, beloved part of old Bluffton’s ‘state of mind,’ dies unexpectedly
Jeffrey Robinowich, one of “old Bluffton’s” most beloved characters, died unexpectedly Monday after suffering a stroke earlier in the day, his son, Samuel, confirmed.
He was 60.
Last November, Robinowich was honored by his hometown when he was added to Bluffton’s Wall of Fame at Town Hall.
A heavyset man known for his kindness, Robinowich owned and operated Morris Garage and Towing on May River Road at the edge of Old Town. It’s a link to Bluffton’s small-town past, with cars cramming the yard and his infamous caged 15-foot python named Tiny greeting customers in a campy living-room setting inside.
“His business has been the hub for countless community projects and event sponsorships,” the town said when it honored Robinowich. “Jeffrey has contributed to Bluffton’s character and culture through many stories.”
Samuel Robinowich said his father had a stroke around 7 a.m., while getting ready for work. A brain hemorrhage caused him to spend most of the day on life-support, he said, and his father passed away around 11:45 p.m.
The news shocked Bluffton, where Robinowich was a second-generation business owner and a gleeful participant in such Bluffton eccentricities as the “wedding” of two mannequins outside the Nearly New shop across from the Squat n’ Gobble restaurant.
Nancy Golson posted on Facebook: “Just heard on the nightly news that four days before he died, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. said, ‘The time is always right to do the right thing.’ Today, on Martin Luther King Day, Bluffton’s best friend, Jeffrey Robinowich left us. He lived those words. Let us follow his example. Rest in peace , my sweet beloved friend.”
Samuel Robinowich said the business will continue, owned by his mother, Charlene, and run by his brother, Phillip.
A graveside service is planned for 1:45 p.m. Wednesday at Bonaventure Cemetery in Savannah.
Jeffrey Robinowich will be buried beside his parents, Morris and Hilda Robinowich.
They moved to Bluffton from Florida in 1962 to buy the Planters Mercantile store on Calhoun Street, a business dating to the late 19th century, where people have always said you could “buy everything from toothpicks to coffins.”
Jeffrey Robinowich was 3 at the time. He was in the H.E. McCracken High School class of 1977.
Morris Robinowich closed the mercantile store in 1972, but two years later opened the garage, featuring hardware, fishing tackle and light mechanical work.
Jeffrey Robinowich bought it in 1987, coming home after years of travel as a children’s photographer. He turned Morris Garage into a full-fledged repair shop, even though that work was new to him at the time.
“He was a master diagnoser,” said his son, Samuel, “and really good at hiring mechanics.”
Jeffrey Robinowich was a Mason, past president of the Bluffton Men’s Club, and past board member of the Bluffton Township Fire District.
The town cited him for sponsoring many local events “such as The Taste of Bluffton and the local reggae festival, Reggae Pon De River, and has donated to major Bluffton projects such as the Bluffton Dog Park.“
He drove a truck in the Bluffton Christmas parade for many years, hauling an elementary school African drum corps.
He was a dog lover, at one time calling Jasper, a Doberman-hound dog mix, his “assistant manager.”
Bluffton considered him a town tradition, and people were leaving flowers at the shop fence Tuesday. Everyone has a Jeffrey Robinowich story, or at least a photo with Tiny.
Jeffrey Robinowich’s survivors include his wife, Charlene; two sons, Samuel and Phillip; daughter, Hahna; and four grandchildren.
