John Alton Robenalt

Lima

John Alton Robenalt, 87, died at 5 p.m. Oct. 5, 2009, at Fairview Hospital, Cleveland, surrounded by his family.

He was born May 2, 1922, in Ottawa to Alton R. and Katherine Straman Robenalt. In 1951, he married Margaret Durbin, who died July 15, 1990. On Sept. 21, 1991, he married Nancy Leech Kidder, who survives.

Mr. Robenalt moved with his family to Lima when he was 2 years old, where he lived most of the rest of his life. He was a 1939 graduate of Lima Central High School. He received a bachelor’s degree in economics form Miami University, Oxford, where he was a member of Delta Tau Delta fraternity. He was an Army veteran of World War II, serving with the 326th Glider Infantry Regiment, 13th Airborne Division, in the European Theater. In 1948, he received his juris doctor degree from The Ohio State University School of Law and was initiated into the international legal fraternity Phi Delta Phi.

He practiced law for 60 years. From 1948 to 1950, he was an assistant attorney general for the state of Ohio. In 1950, he returned to Lima, where his private practice focused on corporate, real estate and estate planning issues. He was admitted to practice law in Ohio and Kentucky and was also admitted to practice in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Ohio, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 6th Circuit and the U.S. Supreme Court. He was a member of the Ohio Bar Association, the Allen County Bar Association, the American Bar Association and the Kentucky Bar Association.

From 1951 to 1961 he was the acting Municipal Court judge in Lima and served as assistant Lima city law director in the late 1950s. He was a founding partner in several law firms in Lima from 1950 through his retirement in late 2008. Most recently, he was the founding and senior partner in the law firm Robenalt & Robenalt. He also held interests in several local businesses, including Toyota of Lima and Atlas Communications Inc.

He was involved in several civic organizations, including the Lima Civic Center, where he was a board member from 1957 to 1958; the Lima March of Dimes; the Lima Rotary Club since 1971; the Allen County Regional Transit Authority from 1984 to 2008, where he served as president from 1985 to 2005. He was a member of the American Society of Ephesus from 2007 to 2008; the American Legion; the Lima Automobile Club from 1975 to 1982; the Ohio Automobile Club, where he served on the board of trustees from 1982 to 2000 and as chairman from 1995 to 1997; and the Shawnee Country Club, where he was president from 1968 to 1970. He was a life member of Benevolent & Protective Order of Elks Lodge 54 and Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 1275.

Survivors also include seven children, John Francis (Vancene) Robenalt, of Osprey, Fla., William Alton (Kathy) Robenalt, of Ann Arbor, Mich., James David (Beth) Robenalt, of Cleveland, Robert Michael (Theresa) Robenalt, of Columbus, Mary Robenalt Porter, of Rocky River, Margaret Robenalt (Mathew) Maloney, of Avon Lake, and Thomas Durbin (Grace) Robenalt, of Rocky River; four stepchildren, Lynn Kidder (Clayton) Burns, Charles Lawrence (Nancy Cole) Kidder, Susan Kidder (Townsell) Marshall, and Shella Kidder (George) Rozman; 21 grandchildren; two great-grandchildren; seven stepgrandchildren; four stepgreat-grandchildren; and his first wife’s sisters, Diane Childers Root and Sara Wolfer.

He was preceded in death by a half brother, Stewart Robenalt.

Mass of Christian Burial will begin at 11 a.m. Friday at St. Charles Catholic Church. Burial will be in Gethsemani Cemetery, with military rites by VFW Post 1275.

Friends may call from 4 to 8 p.m. today at Chiles-Laman Funeral Homes, Shawnee Chapel.

Memorial contributions may be made to the Margaret Durbin Robenalt Memorial Scholarship at James A. Rhodes State College, 4240 Campus Drive, PS-216, Lima, OH 45804.

Condolences may be expressed at www.chiles-lamanfh.com.