Harald (Hal) D. Robinson of Arlington died peacefully at Mt. Auburn Hospital in Cambridge, MA, on June 14, 2009, at the age of 72. He was born in England on Jan. 18, 1937, to an Austrian mother, Alix, and British father, Denis, who was an engineer. They moved to Arlington in 1946. Hal was a unique individual. He had dyslexia, but because that was not recognized while he was attending school, he was considered by his teachers to be somewhat mentally challenged. Quite to the contrary, it turned out that he had a rather brilliant mind. He had acquired some machine shop equipment as a teenager, and was soon in demand for his skills. That was the start of a machine and crafts shop that expanded over the years from a single room in his basement, to essentially his entire home in recent years. While still a teenager, he built two beautiful wooden boats in his garage; one a classic inboard runabout, and the other an outboard racing boat. He had inherited his mother’s artistic ability, and was accepted at the Rhode Island School of Design. He subsequently spent several years as a sculptor, working out of a rented studio in Somerville. Although his art was in demand, his curiosity and interests soon pulled him in other directions. He taught himself the art of silversmithing, and created many beautiful pieces. He soon became so proficient that he was asked to teach the art at the DeCordova Museum. He also taught himself the art of brass assembly, and all manner of metal work. He was keenly interested in and experimented with optics, and with a friend designed and built a telescope that won a national competition. For variety, he also raised exotic plants and practiced the art of Scottish dancing. In recent years, he designed, built and sailed model boats. His sailboats were remote-controlled sloops, with winning designs based on extensive research and experimentation. He won many competitions himself, and his boats also won many prizes when sailed by others. He also built models of precise geometric sculptures for Morton (Bob) Bradley, a noted and respected artist. Hal Robinson was essentially self-educated, and became so knowledgeable and skilled in his wide range of interests that he often became the teacher. Hal never married, and had no children. He leaves behind his brother Marius, and nieces Lori, Holly, Kim and Alix Robinson. He will also be greatly missed by his many, many friends, who loved and admired him. Services were private.