Peter Miller Robbins was born April 11, 1944, in Gates Mills, Ohio, to Barbara Woolworth Miller and Lawrence “Larry” Shattuck Robbins. He was the older brother of Tyler Barkwill Robbins.
He attended Hawken School in Cleveland, Ohio, where, even as a boy, he was drawn to trains, gadgets, and anything he could take apart and rebuild with his hands. At Tabor Academy in Marion, Massachusetts, he discovered a lifelong love of marine biology and deep-sea research. He went on to the University of Colorado, where he worked as a research assistant in Frank Oppenheimer’s physics lab.
After a few years in New York City, Peter settled in Cambridge, Massachusetts, where he began restoring vintage 1940s and ’50s train cars — a passion that would define much of his life’s work. He eventually relocated the cars out west (following his parents who retired in the San Rafael Valley) and founded the Sierra Madre Express, a luxury Pullman tourist train that carried travelers through northern Mexico and the Copper Canyon for nearly twenty years.
In 1981, he married Julieta Flores of Nogales, Arizona. They raised their daughter, Alicia, in Tucson and would spend weekends at their beloved family ranch, The Little Outfit Ranch in the San Rafael Valley. After the death of his father, “Larry,” Peter took over the family ranch.
His fascination with the sea never waned. He designed a submarine that was later featured on PBS Nova, and was a proud member of The Explorers Club. In one of the great adventures of his life, he was among the few Americans invited by the Russian Navy to dive aboard their vessel Keldysh to see the remains of the Bismarck.
Closer to home, his idea of a good time was riding with Los Charros, taking friends on his “tank rides,” and welcoming neighbors and friends to The Little Outfit Ranch. He will be remembered for his hospitality, his wonderfully eccentric hobbies, and his colorful stories of his many adventures.
In his final years, Peter developed dementia, and the family is grateful to those who cared for him with patience and compassion through that journey.
Peter is survived by his brother, Tyler; his daughter, Alicia Robbins; his son-in-law, Tarek Korban; and his three grandchildren, Leo, Maxim, and Otto.
A celebration of his life will be held on Aug. 28 at The Little Outfit Ranch at 10 a.m. All are welcome.